Burning Responsibility
by PupPupGo
Summary: After an accident on the way to Barkingburg leaves both Ryder and Chase stranded, Marshall must step up as third in command. But is he ready to take on such a huge role? MarshallXEverest and ChaseXSkye mentioned but not exactly a huge plot point in the story, and will everyone else co-operate? Rated T for violence and blood.
1. Chapter 1: The Test

Burning Responsibility

 _ **Intro: Hi guys, this is my first Fanfic on PAW Patrol and to be honest, I haven't wrote Fanfictions in years, so don't expect miracles here. I intend to finish this, because I hate it when you get to a good part in a story, and then the author just leaves and never returns. I have often thought about writing my own endings to my favourite stories, but it's just not the same.**_

 _ **I've read a lot of fanfics on PAW Patrol, and I've sort of developed my own taste to them. I'm not a big fan of OCs. Adding some in as the Pup's parents is fine, or for backstory or even as a villain but I think the 6 pups, plus Everest and Tracker are more than enough in most cases. Also, whilst PAW Patrol has been known to venture outside of "conventional" things, such as adding Aliens and Merpups, I'm not going to. I think it's lazy writing if a character gets hurt but is healed by "magic crystals" in less than a paragraph. Also, this will be rated T for violence, but I will never write smut. The pups in this are basically children, so I think its kinda weird, I'll sometimes hint to adult themes, but it's never gonna be M, so sorry for anyone who wanted that. Also, whilst I think ChasexMarshall is cute, I sadly don't see it as Canon. It's obvious Chase has a crush on Skye, and Marshall has one on Everest. I see Chase and Marshall more as brothers really. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Gay pairings, and I think their adorable sometimes, and people like HavocHound have made some brilliant M/M pairing stories.**_

 _ **Anyway, this story focuses on Marshall, but will have some moments with the other pups too, especially Chase and Ryder. The basic premise is that when on a trip to Barkingburg, Ryder and Chase are left stranded on a floating Air Patroller without being able to contact the other pups. With both PAW Patrol members 01 and 02 gone, 03 (Marshall), must step up and take leadership. A role he was never too comfortable with.**_

 _ **The first half of this chapter will be in Marshall's POV, but the rest of the story from there will be normal, overall POV. (Maybe going into POVs for certain moments).**_

 _ **Anyways, I know most people don't read these bits, and I know that was long, but if you did, I appreciate it. I also take notes and feedback from ALL comments. If it's just saying "this story sucks", it's not gonna get better unless you tell me how to improve it. Hopefully, I'll update as often as I can, but It's a busy time of year for me. But I won't stop until it's done! Also, my intros won't be as long XD**_

 _ **Anyway, let's get going.**_

Chapter 1

"It had only been a couple of hours since the Princess called. She said she had some important business to discuss with Chase and Ryder. We were all excited, thinking we were going on a trip to Barkingburg, but much to our disappointment, the Earl suggested that the minimum come through, otherwise we'd leave our precious adventure bay unprotected. It was only in dire situations when we were all called out, and I knew that. But I also knew that without Ryder or Chase, the role of leadership falls to me". Gulp.

"You see, when the PAW Patrol was first setup, Ryder knew he wouldn't be here all the time, and who could blame him. And sometimes, our missions didn't need Ryder along with us, I mean, rescuing Chickaletta or Alex was second nature by now, and Ryder trusted Chase enough to let him be Second In Command. All of us are numbered pups, and whilst we don't let our ranks get in the way, the numbers did represent a sense of authority. I usually shrugged off the fact that I was number 03. It didn't bother me most of the time, because I'm not one to give orders. Chase was perfect for 02, he was level headed, courageous, quick thinking and above all, caring, although, usually in his own, boneheaded kind of way".

I let out a small chuckle, remembering the times the Shepherd tried to comfort Skye or Zuma, and finding out he wasn't exactly the best at it, usually with a slap on the nose or a lot of eye rolling.

"Me however, I have a talent for comforting pups, and people for that matter. I've often comforted Chase when he remembers he lost Officer Bear on a sea rescue. That was pretty rough, and the look on Zuma's face when the stuffed toy was pulled into one of his Hovercraft's propellers was enough to say I'm sorry. Chase, of course, knew it wasn't Zuma's fault, and didn't hold it against him, but he still couldn't help but feel as if Zuma wasn't there that day, he wouldn't be left with a sack of teddy stuffing scattered across the bay".

"I'm not sure what system Ryder chose for our ranking, Chase was an obvious 02, but me as backup leader seemed a bit offputting to not only me. Skye was by far much better at leading, but according to Ryder, she had a bit of a temper sometimes. Rocky might have done better, and Ryder even told me that it was a close decision, but in the end, he had known me for longer. Rubble was just too young and innocent to be leader, and whilst Zuma was older than Rubble, he shared similar traits, and sometimes didn't take things seriously enough".

"I've asked Ryder to tell me why I'm 03, and his reason is that despite my slight airheaded nature, I am serious when a job needs to be done. He said I am a decent balance of seriousness and sillyness to keep people calm whilst making sure I get the job done. But that doesn't mean I can lead. Of course, there have been drills, in which Chase and Ryder would supervise me whilst I lead the other pups on fake rescues around adventure bay. Chase said I had some work to do, but I'd make a good leader if the time came, and of course, that there is always Skye if I couldn't step up to bat".

"My favourite drill was when we had to evacuate and put out a boat shack on the beach. Of course, in the end we found out it was a fake shack, and it was one of Ryder's drills again, but that was the drill that proved I was ready".

 **(End POV)**

* * *

Ryder and Chase nodded at each other, before telling Katie to call. The idea of these drills was to be totally unexpected. Chase and Ryder told the pups that they had to go work at Jake's Mountain for a few days, making some upgrades to Everest's gear whilst Chase took over her resposibilities for a while. In reality, the two were sat in Ryder's Garage under the lookout, watching multiple screens setup around the shack. With Katie calling, the Pups wouldn't know about the drill.

Katie, stood on the beach, dialled for the PAW Patrol. Of course, Ryder's Pup Pad began to ring. He answered and connected the call to Marshall. Marshall knew that with Ryder away, any emergencies would be sent to him directly. Thankfully, there had been none, and the Dally was able to relax for the day, that was until his collar beeped.

"Hi Katie, what's up?" "Marshall, the old boat shack on the beach is up in flames, and I think there are people inside". The blonde girl was very good at acting, it made it seem very real. "We're on it Katie, no job is too big, no pup is too small". With that, Marshall called the Pups.

In the lookout, Zuma and Skye were battling each other on their favourite game. Pup Pup Boogie 3 had been released, and was packed with all sorts of new dances, and the two pups were having a great time battling each other. Rubble cheered the Cockapoo on, whilst Rocky rolled his eyes and cheered for Zuma, laughing as the Chocolate Lab pulled off a tail spin.

All four pups stopped when their tags beeped however. Whilst playful at heart, the four knew they had jobs to do. They were suprised when they heard a familiar shaky Dally voice say, "PAW Patrol, to the lookout!" They looked at each other, before Zuma finally said, "Mawshall needs us?" They laughed as they walked into the elevator.

Rocky looked down at Skye. "Skye, what are you doing?" The boys looked down at Skye, how was tensed up and flinching. "Waiting for the inevitable". They were all confused, until they too realised that it was tradition to be bowled over by a certain pup. They all braced for impact before Rubble spoke up. "Um, guys, with Marshall leading, wouldn't he be at the top?" "Good point Wubble", said Zuma, pressing the button to go up. After a short stop to gear up, the four exited the elevator. Skye, being the next in command, said the usual, "PAW Patrol ready for action Marshall... sir?" They all laughed whilst Marshall blushed. "Don't call me sir, it sounds weird, makes me sound old", he said with a laugh.

"Anyway, down to business guys. An old boating shack on the beach has caught fire from this heat. If we don't get it out soon, the fire will spread to the nearby surfing shack". They all gasped, but none louder than Zuma. "We have to stop it! It can't have my boawds!". Rubble and Rocky both tried to hold in a laugh at the idea of Zuma carrying the whole stock of surfboards out to safety.

"Obviously, I'm going to take point and fight the fire. But because it's got so big already, I'll need Zuma and Rubble to bring buckets of water from the sea to help".

"Let's dive in!"

"Rubble on the double!"

"Skye, Katie mentioned something about people that might be trapped inside, you are gonna have to scout out from the top and possibly winch people out of there"

"Let's take to the skies"

"Rocky, I know you hate water, but you are gonna wear my pack whilst I use the hose on my truck to fight the fire".

"Green mea- I mean, I'm fired up?"

The rest laughed, except Rocky. He knew he was gonna get wet. Of course, he would never let his aquaphobia stop him from rescuing someone, but it didn't mean he was going to be happy about it.

"Ok guys, PAW Patrol is on a roll!" Said Marshall, as he ran to the slide, followed by the other pups.

"He's doing quite well Ryder, sir. He knew what each pup should do, and he even shared his responsibility with Rocky, who really wouldn't have a role in this situation." Chase said, getting a pat from Ryder. The two watched the whole debrief take place. Ryder had to admit, despite Marshall doubting his ability to lead, the role fit him like a glove.

Rocky loaded Marshalls pack into his truck, and took off to follow the rest of the convoy. Marshall led the team, since his vehicle was the only one with them with Sirens. They reached the building where the fire was taking place, and it was worse than Marshall had imagined.

"Skye, scout out from above, if you spot anyone stuck, get them out! Zuma, Rubble, start piling on the water. Rocky, suit up, you're with me".

Zuma rushed his craft into the ocean, drifting at such an angle it caused waves of water to splash up over the buring debris. Rubble lowered his scoop into the water, filling it as much as he could before lifting it above the building and tipping it slowly. He wanted to put the fire out, but if he tipped too quick, he might bring the building down.

"Marshall, the building looks clear! I've checked everywhere, there are no signs of anyone stuck", Skye yelled over the noise. "Great news, thanks Skye. Rocky, how are you doing back there?" Rocky walked out from the back of his truck wearing the Red vest and pup pack. "Ready Marshall!", the Mixed Breed barked out the cannons, which immediately dripped some water onto his muzzle. He grimaced at the feeling, but he knew his job. "Water cannon!" Water instantly shot out of the pack, soaking everything. "Soak the lower half of the building Rocky! I'll work on the roof!"

Marshall ascended his ladder, grabbing hold of the hose at the top. "Hose!" He thought to himself, "I don't think I've actually used this on a rescue before!". The hose was much more powerful than his pack. Whilst his pup pack was strong, it was nothing in comparison. Ryder fitted every vehicle to be as powerful and more advanced than their human's counterparts.

With the flames beginning to die down, Marshall began to run out of water. "Zuma, I need my truck filling! Drag the hose from the back and chuck it into the sea". "Yes sir Mawshall sir!". He cringed slightly at that name.

Zuma drove back on shore and grabbed the hose from the back of Marshall's truck, then drove back into the water. He dropped it and instantly it began to swell as it drew water in. The sheer force of water flowing through the hose at full force again almost blew Marshall off the ladder.

By now, a crowd had gathered around the pups. Skye did her best to keep them back, but she was no Chase. She flew her Helicopter low, telling people that it was too dangerous to be stood that close. She thought she was doing a good job, until of course, Alex Porter wandered over to the fire with a water gun.

"Marshall! We have a problem. Alex is headed your way!". "Rocky, I'll deal with what's left, get Alex off the beach". Rocky nodded.

The mixed breed always knew something was off about that child. Everytime there was an emergency, he liked to make it worse. Sometimes, he thought maybe one day, we'd leave him? But of course, he'd never do such a thing. Even if most of the PAW Patrol's time was dealing with the little devil.

"ALEX, GET OFF THE BEACH. IT'S CLEARLY NOT SAFE", Rocky yelled at the child. "But Rocky, I wanna help" Alex whined. The whining was like someone put sand in Rocky's ear, and then poured water all over him. "Alex, this is not safe. We're trained and frankly someone needs to say this, you can't help. You have a habit of making things worse. Get back to your Grandpa before you get hurt". Alex walked away, tearing up slightly. "I know it was harsh Rocky, but if no one told the kid off, he'd just keep getting in trouble".

Rocky ran back to find the fire was out. Marshall was dousing the last of the debris whilst Rubble cleared any loose bits sitting on the sand. Skye and Zuma had successfully gotten rid of the crowd. Marshall turned his hose off. He looked around at the mess the fire left. It wasn't that bad. The team were quick enough to get the job done before it got worse. As he climbed down his ladder, he congratulated the team on a job well done, but talking and climbing were too much for the Dally, as he slipped on the wet ladder, he fell off the side. Thankfully, he was only a few rungs up, and landed on some burnt up bedding, and something hard.

He got up, worried he landed on a pup. He sniffed around only to find a video camera. With a blinking red light. He turned it to find the PAW Patrol insignia on the back. He laughed as he turned around to the pups holding the camera.

"You guys were in on this?" Marshall said grinning. "In on what dude?", Zuma asked, cocking his head to the side. "No Marshall, they weren't." Said a familar voice. "Katie?", Rubble said, watching as the young girl wandered towards them from the road. "What's going on?" asked Rocky, shaking as much as he could, getting as much water from his fur as possible. "Also, this counts as my bath for the week", he said, frowning at the girl.

Katie pulled out her phone, showing a live video feed from each of the pup's collars and from cameras laid around the left over shack. "Ryder and Chase were watching too, they wanted to know how Marshall would do in a situation where he was put in command". Everyone looked at Marshall. "How'd I do?" He said, laughing nervously. "You did brilliantly!", a new voice joined the crowd. "Ryder!" Marshall said, running up and licking his owner's face. "Marshall, you are fantastic at leading!", Chase said, "but please don't lick me!" Marshall laughed as the Shepherd grimaced slightly. He licked his cheek slightly, laughing as Chase's tough bravado was brought down with a simple lick.

"Marshall, we watched you lead the team, found ways to make everyone useful and successfully stopped what could have been a huge disaster". Ryder said, before Zuma interrupted. "Could've been? Wyder, this building is totalled!". Chase spoke up. "The only other pup who was in on this was Rubble". Everyone looked back at the bulldog. "What? They wanted me to build something, was I meant to say no?" They all laughed.

"This was a trial building, I paid for it, so I could burn it if I saw fit. Mayor Goodway gave me permission to use this part of the beach, as long as it was cleared by the summer festival in a month", he said, gesturing to the soaking black debris.

"So, what now?" Rocky asked the question on everyone's mind. "Now, Marshall is officially 3rd in command. He has proven to be level headed, quick thinking and more importantly, calm in the face of danger". The pups cheered, except for Marshall, who grinned, but only to hide the fact that he was terrified.

Throughout that whole rescue, he thought his leadership was gonna cause problems. He obviously pushed the thoughts to the back of his head, letting him focus on the burning building, but what if he made a mistake that could've hurt the pups?

Ryder took off Marshall's tag, and replaced it with a new one, but much to everyone's confusion, it looked exactly the same. Ryder flipped it over to show the same circular pattern on his Pup Pad. "ooooooh", the pups all stared at it. "With this tag, Marshall can now call the PAW Patrol into action, just like I can, and just like Chase can". Chase flipped his collar to show the same thing.

"But Ryder, at least you or Chase are always here, when would I need to step up?" Marshall asked. "Marshall, being part of the PAW Patrol means you have to be prepared for every outcome. Maybe one day, Chase is too sick to command, or I am away. Or if we both need saving!" Marshall whimpered at the thought, before Skye took his paw. "Marshall, you'll be fine. You've done a great job leading us today". "Totally dude. Mawshall, you awe much smawter than you think. Plus, you saved the suwfboawds!". They all laughed.

"Thanks guys. Ok Ryder, I'll do my best!"

Ryder smiled. "Good pup".


	2. Chapter 2: Farewell

**Hi guys, I hope everyone didn't think too badly of the first chapter. I wanted a bit of backstory into Marshall's PAW Patrol role, as a leader at least. Being a Firepup/EMT is his normal role and I wanted to see how people would react if he was in charge.**

 **This next chapter is quite short** **, I know. But chapter three is gonna be quite long. I want to give each pup a bit of a backstory throughout this. Originally, I had planned on doing Marshall's first, but it flows better as Chase's. Chapter 3 will be up today too. I've been typing for a while. I sort of went off on a tangent, but don't worry, it'll be back to normal in no time. Technically, you could skip the backstories, as whilst there will be some context that overlays into this story, I want it to be focused more on Marshall's role and Chase and Ryder's Survival.**

 **Anyways, to the people who have already favourited and followed, wow. Been up for less than a few hours and I already have someone interested in it. Thank you so much!**

Chapter 2: Farewell

"I know it makes sense for only you and Chase to go, but I wanna see Barkingburg again!", Marshall whined. "I know the real reason Marshall, you just don't want to be in charge", Ryder said, pulling the pup into a hug. "We'll only be gone for a day, two at most. If we need you, I'll send Robo-Dog" A metallic bark could be heard in the background as Robo-Dog loaded up Chase's Mission PAW Gear.

"You'll be fine Marshall, if Ryder trusts you, then you know you are ready!", Chase said encouragingly, pulling his friend into a hug, before staring right into Marshall's eyes, "Don't panic, stay calm, everything will be fine", he said smiling. The Dally's eyes lit up slightly, showing their trademark confidence again. "You're right Chase, besides, what could really go wrong in two days?", he said with a grin.

"That's the spiwit dude", yelled Zuma, walking over and sitting next to Marshall, high pawing Chase. "Bwing us back something cool", the lab said. "No promises, I'm not going for sightseeing y'know?". Chase said. "We know Chase, but be careful, everytime we go, Sweetie has some way of messing it up", Skye said, causing Chase and the others to remember the times where Sweetie tried stealing the crown and locking Chase in the dungeons. "What else can she do to me now Skye?" Chase laughed, shrugging off any doubt whilst blushing at the concern she gave him. Skye slapped her own head. She hated it when Chase would ignore her warnings.

"Tell them we said hi!", a cheerful Bulldog sat on the other side of Marshall, followed by Rocky. "Marshall can't make me take baths can he?". They all laughed. "Technically, yes, but that would kind of be abusing his authority", Ryder said, winking at Marshall. Marshall wasn't sure what Ryder was saying, but he grinned back.

They all pulled themselves into a group hug. Ryder smiled before Robo-Dog barked. "We're all set Chase, it's a long trip so lets get moving".

"See you guys in a few days!". Chase approached Skye. "Keep his confidence up. Y'know what he's like when he doubts himself". Skye nodded, before hugging Chase again and them pushing him into the Air Patroller.

Ryder looked down at Chase, who was blushing slightly, whilst the rest of the pups looked at Skye as she walked back towards them. "Someone's got a cwush" Zuma said to Rocky, giggling before Skye slapped him in the back of the head, causing Rocky to laugh louder. Ryder smiled at the pups before the Air Patroller's door shut. "They'll be fine".

The others stepped back as the Air Patroller's engines turned on. The propellers caused a huge gust of wind to knock the pups backwards a bit, before they all cheered as it soared around the lookout and into the distance.

The pups all sat for a while until the Air Patroller was out of viewing range. Then they sat in silence for a few seconds, before Rubble broke it. "Soooo, now what?". Everyone looked to Marshall. "Don't look at me, I'm only in charge when there's a mission". They all laughed and headed inside. The sun was setting now and they thought it best to go get their food.

Ryder had made enough food to last the pups more than a few days. Being the tallest, Marshall stood on his hind legs and began to heat it all up. "So Mawshall?" The Dally glanced back and lifted an ear, unable to respond with a wooden spoon in his teeth. "You'we not gonna make us do dwills and yoga awre you?" The Dally almost choked on the spoon before turning around to face the Lab and the rest of the team. "I don't know guys, that was more Chase's kind of thing. Really, just do what you'd usually do until we get a mission. Just let me know where you go if you leave the lookout. I don't like drills and yoga anyways". The pups, except for Skye, cheered. Whilst the rest of the boys disappeared to go do whatever, Skye approached Marshall. "Need a paw?", Marshall looked down to Skye. "Nah, not really, I got this". He politely declined the offer.

"Y'know Marshall, drills and yoga aren't Chase's decision, they're Ryders. To make sure we stay in top form for missions". Marshall raised an eyebrow at the girl. "Which means, despite me not liking them either, it'd probably be a good idea to keep them going whilst they're away". Marshall sighed. Part of him knew this. "I know Skye, just thought we could go one day without needing to run around the obstacle course" he said smiling. He didn't mind training, and drills, but they were a bit repetitive and dull. "Okay Skye, I'll let the others know, but we're not doing them at sunrise. I know for certain that that was Chase's decision". Skye giggled nodding her head.

* * *

Meanwhile, above the ocean, Chase and Ryder were just settling down for a long journey. Sure, when in the Mission Paw mode, the Air Patroller could make this distance in less than an hour, but it should only be used for emergencies. It could only go top speed for a certain time before draining the fuel, so cruising speed was their best choice.

Chase entered the seating area after leaving the onboard bathroom. Ryder was sat up with Robo-Dog at the front, keeping them both on course. He wandered over to the seats and curled up. He guessed there was no point staying awake for the four hour flight, so he rested his head on his paws and fell asleep as the sun began to set.

Ryder saw this and smiled. He may act tough and professional, but he was still a pup, and a cute one at that. He brought out his pup pad and took a photo, sending it to Katie and the Pups.

* * *

Katie was on her way up to the Lookout. She had the job of making sure that the Pups were well fed and in bed on time. Whilst Ryder trusted Marshall to uphold the rules, even he knew the Dally had a mischevious streak in him. She wandered over the bridge before her phone buzzed. She opened up the message to find a picture of sleeping Chase. She giggled slightly. She too liked the sight of the all-business pup taking a breather. She approached the sliding doors of the lookout, typing back to Ryder before tripping on a pup. "Sowwy Katie!", Zuma said, rushing over to her. "It's fine Zuma. What're you pups up to?" she asked. "Well, we did want to play Marco Polo, but Rocky being Rocky wouldn't go near the sea, so we decided to play it up here. Wubble is it" Zuma explained, pointing at the bulldog wearing his sleep mask.

"Marco!", "Polo" said Katie, wandering over to the pup. "Katie? Or did Skye get taller?" She laughed, as did Skye in the distance. She took the mask off. "Suppose this means I'm it then?" Rubble nodded before running off. She put the mask on and began to follow the pups around blindly walking into walls. "I bet this is much easier with a nose like yours guys". Skye laughed. "Trust me, being locked in a tower with nothing but boys with a nose like this, not as fun as you'd think". Katie laughed before reaching out and catching Skye. "Awww, no fair, arms make this too easy". Katie shrugged, passing the mask to Skye. She laughed as it fell over her face. "Too big for me I guess".

Marshall sat upstairs in the control room, looking out at the last bit of the sunset. He spoke to himself. "Am I really fit for this? I mean, I can barely control a frog", he grinned, remembering when his late pet frog Smiley stole Skye's copter and his truck. Suddenly, a dinging noise broke his concentration. He looked up at the big screen and opened a message. Inside was a picture of Chase sleeping on the Air Patroller. He couldn't help but laugh. It was actually what he needed to see. Seeing Chase, their big strong leader, sleeping like a baby reminded Marshall that not every leader needs to be serious all the time. He decided to go and join in with the game downstairs. As the elevator doors opened, the screen flashed and rang with a picture of Mayor Goodway onscreen. "Please don't be an emergency, please don't be an emergency, please don't be".

He stood up and pressed his paw against the button, answering the call. "Hiya Mayor Goodway, what's up?" Marshall asked, wagging his tail. "Oh Marshall, is Ryder there? There's been a problem downtown and we need help!". "Dang, it is an emergency. Oh well, it's not like we were gonna go days without one". "No Mayor, he and Chase have gone on a Mission to Barkingburg, he won't be back in time. I'm in charge in the meantime, so what's up?". He could see some skepticism in the Lady's eyes, but she didn't let it show. He flipped his tag.

Meanwhile, downstairs, Rocky and just finished his turn. Skye found him pretty easily, after all, not having a bath for a few weeks does make a pup smell. They were about to start Zuma's turn, before their Tags beeped. "PAW Patrol, to the lookout!". "Ry- I uh, Marshall needs us!". Katie laughed as their habit was broken. "Hey", said Rocky, getting everyone's attention whilst gearing up, "I've always wondered why they say, to the lookout, when we're already in the lookout?". They laughed as the elevator continued its journey up.

"Ready for action Marshall", Skye said with a grin, "sir", the others laughed. Marshall rolled his eyes, smiling. "Ok guys, this is our first actual mission without Chase or Ryder. And I don't think the Mayor completely trusts me as leader". Skye gasped, "doesn't matter Marshall, we do", the others nodded and Katie, coming up through the stairs, agreed too.

"So what are we dealing with?" Rubble asked. Marshall turned to face the screen. "Ok pups, luckily, it's not a huge deal. Chickaletta snuck out of her bath when Mayor Goodway wasn't looking, and now she's on the roof of the town hall". The pups, and Katie, all rolled their eyes. "I know, I know, but at least it's something we're all familiar with" Marshall said, smiling at the team's reaction.

"We all know this one, I'll climb up with my ladder, whilst Chase shoots his net at the bottom in case". Explained Marshall as illustrations appeared on screen. "Marshall, you're forgetting something" said Katie. Marshall panicked slightly, before remembering the missing pup in the room. "Oh, yeah right. Rocky, you're the closest fit to Chase other than me, so you'll come with me to fire the net".

"Green is on the case".

The whole team laughed. "What? I didn't know which one to go with". "Ok guys, the rest of you hang back, it's not likely we're gonna need backup, but you never know with Chickaletta right?" They all nodded, remembering the times the purse chicken made their resuces much more difficult than they needed to be.

"PAW Patrol is on a roll!" Marshall said as he and Rocky jumped into the slide. "They forgot this", Katie said, giggling as she dropped Chase's pup pack down the slide, "Katie wai- oh, too late" Zuma said as Katie looked at him and ran outside. After Marshall was in his truck, Rocky jumped into his, as it was transforming, Chase's pack hit the back of his head. He looked up at Katie who was leaning over the edge. "HEY! WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA?" He said, taking off his cap and rubbing his head. "Sorry Rocky", Katie said whilst Zuma laughed uncontrollably. He grumbled something, before sniggering slightly and then drove off after Marshall.

* * *

Ryder yawned as he stretched his arms above his head. "Not much further now Robo-Dog, another two hours". Knowing Chase was sleeping, Robo-Dog nodded. Ryder wandered to the side of the Air Patroller and got a drink. He cracked the can open and sat back next to his robotic co-pilot, looking back at Chase who stirred slightly in his sleep at the sound of the soda can hissing. "Sorry!" Ryder whispered.

He reclined his seat slightly. It was rare that Ryder had time alone with his first pup. Not that it was a bad thing, but he sometimes thought about how things might have been if he just persued a normal life, with just Chase by his side. No PAW Patrol. He quickly came to the conclusion that it would be boring. He couldn't imagine a world without his pups. Each of them was very dear to Ryder, almost as if they were his Children.

He took a sip of his soda and thought back on all of the times his pups were there for him. Prior to the start of the PAW Patrol, Ryder was bullied a lot. He was smart for an eight year old, much smarter than any other kid his age, and it made others jealous. By the age of nine, he had a Degree in Engineering, Physics, Sociology, Robotics and more. His parents were very proud of him. But the one thing Ryder was proud of the most, was his own pup, Chase.

 **Sorry it's so short, the next one will be longer I promise!**


	3. Chapter 3: Chase's Case

**Final chapter today, maybe. I'm having a good time writing these, I cannot thank you enough for the reviews and follows already.**

 **Anyways, as promised, here's a long chapter to sink your teeth into. It does have some violence, and it goes off from the original story quite a bit. It focuses on my backstory for Chase. Although chances are, I'm gonna make a separate fiction one day with revised backstories for all the pups, maybe Ryder too.**

 **Anyways, here you go :)**

Chapter 3: Chase's Case

Whilst people thought Chase was a good dog from the day he was born, Ryder knew that he had his own struggles to deal with. Chase was a stray to begin with. A local pet shop, (thankfully closed down), sold puppies to humans, but when they reached a certain age, people would stop taking interest in them and go for the younger ones. So one day, Chase was thrown out, along with three other Pups. He tried to make friends with them, but they saw it better to split up and survive on their own.

Days went by as Chase wandered the streets of Stagghead City. He foraged in bins, begged for food, but every night, he would fall asleep on an empty stomach. Some days, he thought he struck gold, opening up a bin to find half eaten fast food, only for it to come back up a few hours later, leaving him empty again.

Over time, Chase began to harbor a fear of Humans. One evening, he settled down to sleep in front of a shop. It was winter and very cold, ice and snow had covered every inch of the city, leaving no where for the pup to sleep, until he found a space in front of a tailors on a backstreet. Above the door was heated, and that heat flowed out onto the steps in front. Chase didn't think twice and wandered over to the warm space, relaxing in the first bit of heat he had been given in days.

The tailor who owned the shop saw Chase. He knew he couldn't let the pup inside, but he didn't feel right letting him sleep out on the steps with nothing. He gathered some scraps from his bin and quickly stitched them together into a blanket, and then found a stuffed toy wearing a blue top. He walked outside. The sound of the bell ringing when the door opened caused Chase to bolt upwards. He turned to see a man approaching him. He wanted to run, but he was so tired, he whimpered and stared instead. "Calm down, I'm not gonna hurt ya", Chase didn't trust the man completely, but he looked old and frail. Even if he wanted to, there was no way this man could hurt him. He walked up to the man, slowly. "That's it boy, or girl, I can never tell in my old age" the man chuckled to himself. Chase snorted at the idea, him? A girl? Absurd. "Oh a boy then?", Chase turned, wagging his tail. Still too young to speak to the man, Chase simply nuzzled his leg.

"I'm sorry fella. I can't let you in, the wife doesn't like animals too much". Chase whimpered as his dream of an owner left his head, being replaced with the cold wind. "But, I can give you these", the old man unfolded a blanked and placed it over the shivering pup. Chase looked up. He saw the worry in the man's eyes, and appreciated the kind gesture. "And of course, no one should sleep without one of these", Chase cocked his head as he lowered a stuffed bear to Chase. He sniffed it and sneezed, causing the old man to chuckle again. Chase didn't know why, but the sound made him feel warm.

"You're more than welcome to sleep out here, but be gone by morning, or the wife will call animal control". Chase nodded, snuggling himself down on the concrete steps, covering himself with the patchwork blanket and bear. The old man smiled and walked back inside, turning his lights off for the night.

Chase slept comfortably for a while but eventually woke up to 'answer nature's call'. He stood up and stretched before heading into an alley. When he returned, he found two men at the door of the shop. Chase panicked as he looked down at the blanket and bear in front of the window. What if they saw it and took it? But then a new fear took his mind as one of the men removed a bar from his coat, prying the door open easily. Chase stood back against the wall, watching as the two men entered the building.

He stood. He watched. He panicked. But part of him, deep inside, was telling him he had to do something. Anything, draw the robbers away, wake the old man, get someone to help. He stood in the alley, unsure of what to do, before he heard talking in the shop.

"Take whatever you want, just let her go!" It was the man, Chase turned the corner and held his breath. The robbers were facing away from the window, and the man was looking through it. The lights now on, Chase could see every detail, including one of the men reaching into his back pocket. "The register old man, open it". He scurried to the register, opening it and turning it to them. "Take it all, let her go". "You are in no position to make demands here", another said, pulling a gun out and pointing it to the woman. "No! Don't! Do you want the safe too? Anything it's all yours!". The man was fumbling behind the counter. Chase sniffed the air, he smelt guns, which made sense, there was one in the robber's hand against the woman's temples, but there was more than one.

He quickly realised, the old man had one under the counter. Chase was about to run in, hopefully causing a distraction. As he built up the courage to turn the corner and run, he breathed heavily. Watching the rise and fall of his chest, before suddenly the air fell silent, as if time stopped. He turned the corner to see shattered glass, a woman screaming, two men falling down and blood. Lots of blood.

Chase stared at the scene. His young puppy mind attempting to understand what happened. One of the robbers was on the floor. Dead. A bullet wound to his neck. The other was standing with the barrel of his gun smoking. Aimed at the counter.

Chase didn't want to look. But his eyes didn't care. His irises focused on a figure, with a hole on the left side of his face, holding what appeared to be a handgun. He was dead too. Blood on the walls and no life in his eyes. Chase's ears perked up at the sound of sirens, very far in the distance. A neighbour must have called the police. But Chase wasn't the only one who heard them. The living robber turned quickly. He grabbed the bag of money from the counter, looking down at his dead accomplaice before sprinting through the window.

Without thinking, without even realising he was doing it, Chase was, well, chasing! He ran through alleyways, a sense of rage in his heart, stalking the man down every corner. He didn't know why, why he was upset. This man hadn't even known Chase for a day, he didn't even know his name. But something in his eyes made Chase feel something he had never felt, not even in the pet shop. Chase felt wanted. And now, a man had taken that away from him for the sake of money, and Chase wouldn't let him get away.

Lucky for Chase, the robber did not know about the young pup tailing him through the bowels of the city, but when he reached a dead end in an alley, he turned to keep running. All he saw, and the last thing he saw, was the open jaws of a very angry german shepherd pup.

Chase dug his teeth into the robber's face. Screaming, the man grabbed the dog and tried to pull him off, but chase bit his hands before they had chance to touch him. He didn't know where this strength came from. He hadn't eaten in days, or had a proper sleep in ages. He didn't care where this strength came from either, just like he didn't care about the blood pouring from his mouth as he latched onto a new part of the body. The throat. The robber fell to the ground, gasping and writhing. Punching the dog in the face with what little strength he had left. He pulled his gun from his pocket and tried to fire at the pup, only to miss. Chase bit his hand, making him drop the gun. It fell with a heavy thud, as did the robber's hand. He stopped biting when he felt no pulse.

Chase sat up, crimson liquids dripping from his innocent puppy face. For a short moment, he felt proud. Proud that he brought this killer to justice. But then he looked at the man. Bite marks across his face, bite marks on his hands and he was practically missing his throat. If it wasn't for the fact that he hadn't eaten in days, he would have thrown up there and then.

He looked in a frozen puddle, the dim moonlight above illuminating his face just enough too see his reflection. His once cute pup smile and fuzzy face where now completely saturated in blood. He licked his face, before spitting violently. A metallic taste covered his tongue, and there was no water in sight to get it off. He looked at the man, and felt guilty. Even if he was a killer, Chase knew this was too much.

He began to walk back to the Tailors, police were already consoling a tearful wife. He snuck through the crowd, walking in through the back to sit next to the old man. He looked at the eyes that once brought him comfort and he began to do something he'd never done before. In all his time on the streets, without food, water or family, he'd never done it.

Chase began to cry.

His tears slowly washed the blood from his face, he whimpered gently, unable to hear the sound of the bell on the door opening. He bowed his head close to the old man, before being violently tugged back and thrown across the room. He hit the wall with a heavy thud, causing him to yelp in pain. He looked up, seeing a teary eyed woman, holding the old man's gun. Police came running in. "HE'S NOT YOURS. YOU CAN'T HAVE HIM". The old woman yelled. Chase was scared and confused, before looking up at a tall mirror on the wall. His teeth were stained with blood, he bared his own canines at himself, scared of the image in front of him. It was then that he realised, she thought he was going eat the man. He looked back, shocked and cowered.

Police barged in past the woman. "HE'S DANGEROUS. GET HIM AWAY FROM ME". Chase tried to run, but a rope was thrown around his neck. "Easy boy! Easy!" He heard from officers, trying to restrain him. He tried with all of his power to escape, but by now, after the chasing, and the crying, he had nothing left. He gave up. Falling to the floor sobbing, he was muzzled and lifted up. As he left the shop, he looked down to the ground, yelping and whining as they passed a patchwork blanket and a stuffed bear. Unable to speak, the officers were not sure what he was barking at. They placed him in a van. Chase panicked as the doors closed, he pounded at the doors, scratching and whining. He knew what would happen. He might be young, but everyone knows what happens to dogs who attack a human. At least his fate would be more humane than the fate he gave that robber.

He laid down, falling asleep in the furthest corner of the van. Whilst he slept, the doors slowly opened. A man sat near the pup, injecting his neck with a small needle. Chase stirred slightly before falling into a much deeper sleep.

* * *

The next time he woke, he was in a kennel, looking out over long, lush grass. He didn't know where he was, but he did know something else. His nose was high in the air, before he turned around and saw it. A bowl of food. Forgetting what he had just gone through, his survival instincts kicked in again. He practically leapt across his cage and into the bowl, gulping down food at a speed that would make even Rubble jealous.

Chase sat back, sighing contentedly, before remembering why he was in here in the first place. He rushed to his water bowl. His face was clean. Someone must have bathed him whilst he slept. He shivered slightly at the idea of being handled like that. But then a new thought came to mind. By now, he should be dead. He knew the consequences, but he didn't understand why they weren't being delivered.

He sat and thought for a while. "Puppy Rehabilitation Programme". Chase sat up and looked ahead of him. In another cage was another pup, not much older than him. "We're all in here for bad reasons, the point of this is to offer another option than", Chase watched as the pup ran his paw across his throat. "Can you speak yet?", Chase shook his head. "Wow, you are young aren't you?"

Chase sat down, straining to see what dog was across the room from him. He was black, slender looking. Greyhound. "I'm in here for theft I suppose, thought I was quick enough to run, turns out I have to be quicker", he said laughing. "But the way you looked when they first brought you in here, you must be in for something much worse. You were red. At first, I thought someone attacked you, but that's not the case, is it?" Chase shook his head, hanging it low in shame.

"Did they deserve it? Were they a bad person?" Chase sat and thought above it for a while. He nodded. "So don't feel too bad about it". Chase knew he shouldn't, he killed a killer, but he couldn't help but feel like it was wrong. "Look kid, we're all in here for bad things, you might be the worst", Chase looked up with tears in his eyes again, "but we all did things out of greed, or self fulfillment, if you did it out of defense or justice, then chalk one up to the good guys". Chase felt slightly more at ease with the idea, but he doubted it would ever sit right with him.

That night, Chase tried to think about what was going to happen. What does rehabilitation mean for a dog? He thought it over as he drifted to sleep.

He awoke abruptly to the sound of a bell. "Morning sleeping beauty", the greyhound across from him smirked as Chase looked around wide eyed. "Not used to alarms yet? Took me a while too. Hey, listen up. I overhead someone last night. Guards come in to do nightly rounds to check us. Look, I think they were talking about you, they have a "special plan" for you". Chase gulped. That could mean anything! "Don't panic, if they wanted you dead, you'd be dead, right?" He said, reassuring the pup. "If I've learnt anythi-" He was cut short as the door at the end of the hall opened. "Cage A22". Chase looked around. Across, the greyhound looked back, pointing upwards. Chase saw a number on the cage. The greyhound was A21. It took him a second, but he sat wide eyed, he was A22.

"This is him?", a man in a white labcoat asked. "Yeah, brought in not too long ago, are you sure you don't want a pup that's been here longer? They might be easier to handle", a guard asked. "No, he'll do just fine". Chase panicked again, breathing heavily. It felt like his heart was trying to get out of his chest as a pair of outstretched hands came towards him. "Hey, hey now little man, it's fine, we're not here to hurt you". Chase thought to himself, "we?" He looked around to spot a child, no older than 5 stood at the other end of the room, smiling.

"Science isn't always easy officer, if it was, everyone would do it", he said laughing. Chase looked around, still panicking. His greyhound buddy looked up and waved a paw. Chase didn't know what to do. He knew if he tried to fight his way out, his one chance at living through this would be gone. He unwillingly gave up, submitting.

"Dad! Can I sit in the back with him?" The young boy asked, eyes full of curiosity. "Ryder, we both know that he could be dangerous". The boy's shoulders sank. "I know dad, I won't touch him". His dad sighed. "Okay son, but please be careful".

Chase knew he wouldn't hurt the child, heck, he wouldn't hurt anyone. It was too out of his nature. That robber had left him with a scar, one that reminded him to never resort to violence again. "Mom's gonna love him!" Ryder exclaimed, sitting next to the cornered pup. "German Shepherds are her favourite!".

Chase thought quietly to himself, shooting a glance up at the boy next to him every few minutes. The car journey was long, two hours passed. He was let out of the car once, on a lead to deal with his own personal business. He knew if he wanted to that he could chew through that lead in an instant and run into the distance, but something was compelling him to stay with this boy.

Chase sat back in the car, closing his eyes. "Another hour Ryder, might want to get some sleep". Chase noticed the young boy put his head back against the car seat, closing his eyes. Chase did the same. Suprisingly, this was the first time Chase had been able to sleep properly in months. Something felt right about being near this boy.

Ryder's dad looked in the rear mirror, gasping quietly as he noticed the boy with his hand over the pup's side. Chase opened his eyes, seeing the hand touching him. The boy gently snored. Chase looked up to the mirror at the front of the car, the older human not taking his eyes off him for a second. Then, Chase did something unexpected. He leaned his head up slightly, turning his mouth towards the child's hand. The older man began to slow the car down, ready to stop and save his child. But Chase didn't bite the hand, he simply nuzzled it, then licked it. He sighed in relief. Accelerating back to full speed as Chase fell asleep on the boy's lap.

Something seems right about this, he thought to himself.

* * *

The car pulled into a stop. Chase felt the vehicle stop moving and sat up, brushing the child off his side, waking him up in the process. "We're here", said the older man. Chase looked around. It was getting dark, but it was still light enought to see a calm town near the sea and a house ahead of them. The house wasn't very big, but it had lots of what looked like satellites on the roof.

Part of Chase was excited, whilst the rest was terrified. He still didn't know these people. And after the way he was treated, he was scared of them too. But something about the young boy made him trust him. "Ok, it can't be much worse than the streets" He thought to himself, jumping out of the car on a leash.

The door of the house swung open, and Chase was suprised he wasn't the only one who was scared. "You're home!" A female voice yelled. A woman, dressed in a similar lab coat to the older man, ran out towards them. Chase smelt something. Singed hair. He couldn't help but laugh slightly as this woman ran towards them, hair smoking, face black with soot apart from where the goggles covered her face.

"Ok ok, settle down hun. We have company", the man said. Chase realised that was him, and hid behind Ryder's leg. "Ohhh come on now, don't be shy. I might look like I just wrestled a volcano, but believe me, I wouldn't hurt a fly", she said, slapping a bug on her arm. "That wasn't a fly, that was a mosquito, that's different". Chase smiled a bit. She was nothing like any other human he'd met so far. She was funny, and something about her, just like something about the younger male, made him feel at ease. "Can you talk yet?" Chase looked at her, shaking his head. "No matter. I do most of the talking round here", she said, noticing her husband nodding his head smirking.

Ryder laughed before walking towards the house with his Mom and Dad. "So what blew up this time? Did you attempt to restart the quantum field array, but forgot to factor in the blowback radius of using magnetic resin as the fuel. You know that stuffs too volatile to be subjected to that sort of radiation". Chase had now idea what the man was saying. "Nah, tried making a buritto in that microwave Nana bought us last year". Ryder, Chase and the Man laughed.

"So, I guess you have a name?" Chase nodded. Ryder wasn't sure what to do. He could give him a name, or wait until he could speak. "Well, until you can tell me, we're just gonna call you pup". Chase wagged his tail.

"Now then, pup, let me explain what this is all about". Chase turned his attention to the older man. "This town is called Adventure Bay. It's quiet, peaceful, not a lot happens. Our job, as appointed by Mayor Ernest Goodway, is to recruit some dogs who we believe can be used to better the society in the area". Chase cocked his head. _"Better the society. He just said it was perfect"_.

"This is a government initiative, to help young pups find their feet after doing something bad. Think of it as community service. Most of the pups that go into rehab, usually relapse, do the same thing once they're out, that's why I opted to bring you here. Raise you outside of protocol, like a family". Chase's heart felt torn by the words. He thought back to what happened last time someone cared for him. But at the same time, he had a "family".

Months passed as Chase was raised in the Ryder household. Chase had learnt a lot, especially to stay away from the older female when she was wearing her lab coat, unless he fancied being bald for a while.

He had grown quite a bond to Ryder. The two were almost inseperable. The only time Chase was away from Ryder, was when he was going through his mandatory training with the older male. Chase wasn't sure how he felt about this man. He knew he wouldn't hurt him, but there was always a sense of distrust between the pair. His training was simple. Run round obstacle courses, climb. Chase felt as if he was being trained for something.

More months passed and Chase finally began to speak. At first, they were just mumbles, sporadic noises with no form. But eventually, with help from Ryder, he could speak his name. He sat in front of the boy, with his two parents either side. "Go on pup, say it again". Chase looked into the eyes of the now 6 year old. "Cha-yees. Chse". He struggled still, "keep going you can do it" Ryder said, pulling him into a hug. "Chase". He whispered. Ryder gasped. "You did it!". "Chase!" The young pup kept shouting. "Chase Chase Chase Chase". "We get it, we get it!", the older man said, smiling. "It's good to meet you Chase".

Eventually, an entire year had passed. Chase was now speaking fluently, Ryder was now 8 years old and held multiple scientific degrees. He put them to good use.

"Chase, come to the garage", Chase recognised Ryder's voice and walked through the house, smiling as he walked quickly through the lab where the older lady was.

Upon entering the Garage, chase found it dark. "Ryder? Are you there?", Ryder walked to him and placed him down on a seat next to himself. "You're gonna like this, I promise". Chase wagged his tail.

The lights turned on, showing the inside of the garage. Chase was never allowed in here, it was strictly Ryder's dad's room, and he knew better than to test his patience. "Chase, your training is no longer enough for you", Ryder's dad entered the room, holding a blue box. "We've been training you for just over a year now, and Ryder and I both think it's time to reward you". Chase wagged at the idea of a reward, a treat maybe?

Ryder took chase to a table and stood him up. "Ryder? What's going on?" Ryder smiled as he took off Chase's collar. He whimpered slightly. That collar was his identity now, without it, he felt like he was back on the streets. That was until a new one was fitted around his next. This time, black. It smelt new. But the best thing about this was the blue shield badge on the front.

"Chase." Chase looked up at Ryder's Dad. "We've been training you like this, so you can help people", he explained. "Humans save humans all the time, but we lack the natural instinct that dogs have, especially dogs coming from the situations you've been in. Humans can only do so much, so I was tasked with finding pups with the instincts to help rescue humans".

Chase sat down, taking in the news. He felt his tail wag. Something about this felt right. "So-so what now?" Chase asked. "Now, we begin a new style of training. Chase. This is your 'Pup Pack'. Ryder thought of the name. And helped me design it". Chase looked at the object, sniffing it intently. Some straps fell from the sides. "This pack contains all the tools you will need when rescuing people. A net, flashlight, even a ball cannon", Chase looked up. "Well of course we aren't gonna give you a gun" Ryder said giggling. "Duh" Chase said.

"So, what is my job?", Chase asked. "At the moment, there isn't a specific role to fill, you will have to cover more than one. But it is our intention to expand the size of this team." Chase nodded, "so more pups?" he asked. "Yes Chase, more pups". Chase didn't know how he felt about that. He knew they needed more for this to work, but Ryder was his human. What if they were to take him away?

"So Chase, what do you think?". Chase stood up and looked at his back, turning on the spot. "It's voice activated, so it's a good thing you learned to talk!". Chase looked around, seeing a big sheet in the corner.

"What's that?" He said, pointing out a paw. "The next stage in training, after this. You're not quite ready". Chase gave the puppy dog eye trick to the man, but his will was hard as steal. "Damn, that always works with your Mom", Chase said, glancing at Ryder who was giggling.

"Ohhhh doesn't he look adorwable!" The door swung open. "Uh oh" was all chase could say before being swept off the table and into the arms of a woman who smelt of burning gingerbread.

Ryder and his Dad laughed as Chase tried to squirm free. He loved the woman, very much, she cared for him when he got the flu, gave him his baths, walked him. But, there is a limit to how much care a pup can take.

She put Chase down on the floor. "Well, go on, give it a test!".

Chase thought for a minute, before facing the woman. "Net", he said. She stood wide eyed as a launcher extended from his pack and fired a net over the woman. "It works!" She laughed from inside the net. "It's brilliant!" The four sat and laughed as Ryder pulled the net off his Mom.

They all cuddled together, Ryder taking a photo of the moment. Chase finally felt at home. He felt he was needed. He was wanted.

A few months passed before Christmas arrived. Chase was new to the idea of Christmas. Why anyone would get excited and wilfully let a man dressed in red invade their home was beyond him, but Ryder liked it, so Chase did too.

The two were asleep in their room, whilst Ryder's parents closed the door, watching as the German Shepherd fell asleep on Ryder's legs.

Smoke. Chase was woken up by smoke. He sniffed the air, only to cough. He looked around. The underside of the bedroom door was flickering. He opened it, crushing the silence in the room with the sound of splitting wood and cracking walls. He howled, waking Ryder from his sleep. The boy looked up, staring into the hallway. His father barged in, grabbing both Ryder and Chase before running out through the window and sliding down the roof into a pool. If it wasn't for the circumstances, it would have been pretty cool.

"Chase, go to the Garage. Ryder, he's ready for his next level. Get you two out of here. We'll meet you at the hospital in two hours!". "Dad!" Was all Ryder could say before his Dad ran head first into the building again. "Chase this way!". Chase followed his master through the backdoor into the Garage, sprinklers soaked everything. Ryder grabbed the Pup Pack from the workbench and pulled the sheet off of the large object in the corner.

"What is that?" Chase asked, "No time, get in". Ryder jumped into the top of the object. Chase watched as the block transformed into a vehicle, wheels popping out from the sides and the back extended. The whole thing was unpainted, just left with a matte coat of primer.

"Chase! I said get in!" Chase shook his head, Ryder's desperate screams pulling him back to reality. The fire was spreading into the room. Chase jumped behind Ryder, who pushed the gas and flew through the front of the Garage. Chase examined the vehicle closely. He knew what a human car was like. He had seen them before. The pedals were on the floor, these pedals were on the wheel. Ryder took a sharp turn. He looked to the side, seeing his childhood house up in flames, and wondering where his parents were.

He pulled up to a hill across a bridge, far away from the building. Both Chase and Ryder sat watching the fire from a distance, flashing blue lights were headed from the nearby town of Foggy Bottom, but Ryder knew it was too late to put out the fire. "Do you think they'll be ok?" He asked Chase. Chase was dumbfounded. Ryder always knew everything. Chase didn't know the answer. "I hope so Ryder".

* * *

A few hours passed. "Shouldn't we head to the hospital?" Chase asked. Ryder looked up, his eyes red with tears. "Yeah, come on pup". They both got back in the strange vehicle and headed out to Foggy Bottom.

"Ryder, who was this made for?" Chase knew the answer. "You, Chase. Dad and I designed this for a pup to drive long before we got you. Dogs are fast, but some emergencies need to be dealt with quicker than a dog can run, so we figured to make a vehicle. It was my idea to have it turn into a dog house too. Dad thought it was daft but he needed my help, so he agreed". Chase looked around. Everything inside the car was pup sized. Even Ryder was struggling to fit.

They pulled up to the hospital and walked in. A nurse greeted him. "I'm sorry son, but no dogs allowed". Ryder looked up at her, he'd been through enough tonight. "He's family. He comes in" he said. Chase never thought an 8 year old could sound intimidating, but here he was, watching Ryder practically terrify this young nurse.

"You're here for?" The nurse asked. "Ryder. My mum and dad said to meet me here. They were in a fire, they told me to run", Ryder said, holding back tears. "I'll check the records, please sit, is there anything we can get you?" Ryder shook his head. "Ok, I'll be back as soon as possible".

Hours passed, Chase sat up, watching the clock strike midnight. It was Christmas day. He began to have bad feelings. Eventually, the Nurse returned. Chase woke Ryder, who stood quickly. "Where are they, what room?".

"I'm sorry, but we don't have anyone here under the name Ryder". Chase stood and stared whilst Ryder ran to the reception desk, vaulting the counter. "Young man! You cannot be behind there!" Ryder didn't care. He furiously typed away, searching every record in mere moments. Nothing.

"Chase, lets go". Chase said nothing, following the boy out of the room back to the car. "Where are we going?" Ryder said nothing, flooring the car out of the parking lot. He sped back, sirens blazing. Chase figured it out. They were headed back home, or to what was left of it.

Ryder pulled up at the house. The fire had stopped, thanks to the multiple firemen running around him, one paramedic van was seen in the corner. Ryder held his breath and dismounted the car. He walked to the van.

"Excuse me?" He said, making one of the EMTs turn to him. "Yes yes, what is it we're very busy". "I'm looking for my Mom and Dad, they live here". The EMTs turned to each other with a grim look. One of them took the boy by the hand, making Chase growl lowly. Chase followed them away from the building onto the shore and sat with Ryder and the EMT.

"Look, there's no way to say this easily". Ryder didn't need to hear anymore. He burst into floods of tears, not caring about staying level headed anymore. Chase was shocked, but he knew what happened too. He began to cry with Ryder, both of them soaking the sand beneath them.

"Is there any other family I can take you to?", Ryder shook his head. "Well, we'll have to do something, we can't just leave you hear without.." he didn't finish his sentence, instead, he cradled the boy and stroked the pup's head.

Ryder looked out to the shore. Chase looked back at the house. For once, Ryder didn't know what to do. "Ernest Goodway". "Hmm?" "Ernest Goodway, the Mayor. My parents knew him". Ryder said with a shaking voice.

"Got it. I'm heading back to the van, I'll radio the police they can take you there". Ryder nodded.

The second the EMT let go, Ryder ran. Chase ran too, he didn't know where. Ryder jumped into the strange pup car again, pulling Chase in with him. "KID WAIT, STOP!", Ryder didn't. He drove fast. As fast as he could. Across the bridge and onto a hill. His tears, blocking his view, caused him to hit the sidewalk. Before either Chase or Ryder knew what was happening, they flew out of the car and onto the grassy hill in front of them. Chase landed on his paws, but Ryder tumbled for a long time. Chase followed him, grabbing his shirt with his teeth trying to stop him.

Ryder stopped, hitting a tree. He didn't care. He sat up and wailed. His parents were gone. His home was gone. He had nothing left. Until he felt a familiar presence under his arm. "Chase, I don't know what to do". Chase didn't either. He simply sat and cried with Ryder as he held him close.

Hours passed as the sun began to rise again. It was freezing. It was Christmas Day. Ryder looked down on the small town in front of him, seeing people warmly greeting each other. He wanted to cry, but there was nothing left. He stood up, waking Chase in the process.

"Chase. My dad was onto something bigger than just you and I. This town was our trial town, he wanted to test a scheme and roll it out across the country. He called it the Protect and Watch Patrol. It was going to be made up of Dogs with one human leader per team. A police pup, firepup, medical pup, aviator pup, mechanic pup, construction pup and finally an aquatic rescue pup. Chase, you were our first pup. Your role, was going to be a Police Pup".

Chase sat back on his haunches, listening intently to the very serious voice Ryder had on. "Mom was going to lead this team, she helped design the outfits and packs. Dad and I would manage the mechnical aspect of the team. Chase, you would be second in command". Chase, once again, was lost for words.

They both stood in silence. "Mom and Dad spent their lives working on the Protect and Watch service, it wouldn't seem right to let it end now", he said, suprising Chase with a smile.

"So what now Ryder?" Chase asked, standing beside his owner. "Now Chase, we get to work".

Ryder spent months planning the base of operations for his new service with Ernest Goodway and his daughter. They had chosen the hill as their best place to build. Ryder provided the plans, the goverment provided his funds.

Midway, the town took a moment to mourn the passing of Ryder's family. They weren't known by everyone, they kept their jobs secret, but the community pitied the boy and his dog, and held a funeral for the two fallen townspeople. Ryder cried as the coffins were lowered and covered in soil, truly sealing himself alone. But he wasn't.

Months passed and the townspeople helped as much as they could.

"Ryder, I can't do all those jobs on my own", Chase said, looking at the half completed tower before them".

"I know Chase. We need to find our next pup", Ryder said, looking confident. "Which one first?" Chase asked. Ryder stood for a few minutes, thinking of everything they had gone through. His heart wretched at the idea of his parents burning in that house. If there were services nearby, they'd still be alive. He never wanted anything like that to happen to anyone again. He reached into his pocket and brought out another badge, blank with no insignia. He looked down to Chase who looked back.

"Firepup"

* * *

Back in the Air Patroller, Ryder wiped some tears from his eyes. It hurt to remember them, but it never stopped him. Without his parents, he wouldn't have the PAW Patrol with him now. He moved from his seat, leaving his soda behind and sat with Chase. Two years had passed and since, Chase had grown into a fantastic pup. He was by no means fully grown, none of his team was, but it didn't matter. His team was family, and despite their ages, they did their jobs fantastically.

Ryder took a moment sitting with Chase, resting his hand on his thick fur, drifting off himself. His eyes were snapped open though as Robo-Dog barked loudly. Lightning was approaching, and whilst the Air Patroller could deal with minor storms, this was a full scale tempest. Chase woke up with Ryder, who was taking control from Robo-Dog. He flew upwards, hoping to avoid the lightning by going above the clouds. For a while it worked, before Ryder relaxed and returned control to Robo-Dog. "That was close" Said Chase, who was visibly nervous and also looked as if he was about to empty the contents of his stomach across the floor of the plane. Ryder laughed a bit, stroking the dog on the back gently, calming him down. "Thanks Ryder" Chase said, his nausea slowly declining. "No problem buddy".

Ryder went to grab his soda, but moved too fast, knocking the can onto the controls. At first, he was worried, but then nothing happened. The Air Patroller continued at a steady pace above the vicious looking stormclouds below. He sighed before mopping up the spill with some towels he kept handy for Rocky.

Ryder turned to face Chase, as he did, the doors to the control area sealed themselves shut, revealing a large screen with a fire emblem on it. "Hey, Marshall's calling!" Chase said excitedly. Ryder didn't hesitate to answer. "Hey Marshall, how's everything at home?"

"Going good Ryder. Did our first mission. Nothing too big, just bringing Chickaletta down from the roof. Something we've probably done more times than we need". The three laughed at this. Ryder noticed the elevator moving in the background. "Hey Rocky, nice outfit!" Ryder said, giggling as Chase noticed that the Mixed Breed was geared up in his uniform. "Uhhh, Rocky. What are you doing?"

Rocky laughed, removing the police cap from his head. "Your job, since you get to go on vacation". Marshall laughed at this too. "Hey! We're on a top secret mission here!" Marshall couldn't help but stifle a giggle, looking over at Ryder in the background who was holding up the photo he took of Chase sleeping earlier.

Chase spun his read round quickly, but not quickly enough. "Alright you guys cut it out", Ryder laughed. "Besides, it says it's now 9:40 in Adventure Bay, you should be in bed guys".

"Hey! Not our fault that the chicken decided to climb a building! The rest of the pups were in bed. Rocky and I were just finishing up for the night and then we're gonna hit the sack too. What about you guys?"

"Well as you know, Chase has had his nap" Chase looked over at Marshall who was now laughing at Ryder's statement. "What?" he said, "Am I not allowed to sleep?"

"I might get some shuteye when we arrive. We can't be too far off now". Marshall nodded, before cocking his head slightly. His gaze fell on Robo-Dog. "Uh, Ryder. I'm not usually one to question your knowledge, but.. is Robo-Dog meant to be doing that?" Marshall said. Ryder looked over at his robotic co-pilot and saw him pushing a lot of buttons and smoking slightly. "No! He's not!" Ryder said, turning to take control. He pressed the button many times, but he never took control from the Robotic Dog, "Chase, turn him off!" Chase stood up and grabbed Robo-Dog. "Sorry metal man, but it's time to sleep". Chase pressed Robo-Dog's pup tag, shutting the pup off.

Ryder switched to Robo-Dog's seat. "Ryder, Sir? Is everything ok?" Ryder began pushing multiple buttons, reaching above his head. "Chase, strap in, sit down".

Marshall and Rocky watched in horror over the video feed as Chase and Ryder dived around the cockpit.

"Mayday, Mayday, this is PAW Patrol Vehicle 09 Air Patroller losing altitude at high rate above water. Requesting immediate response". Ryder yelled into a headset. Marshall and Rocky traced their location to the best of their ability. Whatever happened knocked out their locator and altitude control. They began radioing nearby ships.

"Ryder! What's happening?" Chase yelled as his owner continued to recite his maday call. "Chase! Get into your flight gear now!". Chase ran to the back of the plane, pulling his gear from the overhead storage and putting it on. "Ryder, we can't get through to an-" the screen went blank. The Air Patroller fell into the storm below.

"Ryder!" Chase yelled as the boy frantically tried to pull up. "Ryder it's no use, we have to go before we hit the water!" He was right. Ryder knew he was right. He forced the window above him open and grabbed chase. He deployed his wingsuit and launched out of the cockpit, watching his Air Patroller, Chase's Mission Paw gear and his beloved Robo-Pup fall into the ocean. Chase and Ryder were now left in the air, surrounded in a storm. "We have to find land!" Ryder yelled over the noise. Chase nodded. They both knew that their packs would only last so long, a few hours at most.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the lookout, Marshall and Rocky didn't know what to think. "They're.. gone?" Marshall said. "Marshall! Look at me, they're fine. This is Ryder and Chase we're talking about here. Look, they were above a storm when we called. That's why we lost contact. They have their gear, they can make it as long as they fly East towards Barkingburg". Marshall knew Rocky was right. But he couldn't help but watch as the blip on the screen faded away, making him feel as if something else was fading away with it.

 **Okay. That's the longest chapter so far. I'll focus more on Marshall's leadership in the next one, because of course he has to break the news. Sorry to anyone who was expecting this to continue with Marshall, but I wanted conflict for Chase and Ryder too since they are the reason Marshall is now in command for a while. Or permanently. You never know.**

 **I don't think I'll write backstories as in-depth as this one in the future until I get around to actually writing a backstory fanfiction, and I'll probably write a different backstory for Chase by then too, but for now, this is all I've got. 3 Chapters in one day makes your hands hurt a bit, so I'm gonna leave it here, on a sorta cliffhanger I suppose.**

 **Thank you to everyone so far who was read this. I didn't expect to get feedback that soon! Don't worry, this will focus on Marshall more than anyone else. I sorta went off on a tangent here and couldn't stop once I had started. You probably noticed I didn't give Ryder's parents, or anyone else names (apart from Ernest Goodway, I saw that somewhere and I liked it. Sorry if I stole the name). I did that because I'm still not a big fan of OCs. They work in some regards, and a lot of the time contribute a lot to the story, but sometimes they can be used as excuses to move the story along too quickly, and I don't want to do that.**

 **Thank you again to everyone. Please leave feedback. I read it all, good or bad! But I won't acknowledge hate or just general rudeness.**

 **Anyways, Chapter 4 will probably be up tomorrow afternoon/evening. I'm in UK so I don't know when that is anywhere else. (For anyone who is wondering, I watch the US version of Paw Patrol because I prefer the American voices over the UK ones. UK Chase just sounds too old).**

 **Anywho. Bye :)**


	4. Chapter 4: Breaking News

**I can't believe this story actually gained traction. Thanks guys.**

 **Anyways, I'm going to go back on something I mentioned. I was going to make backstories for each of the pups in this fiction, but after doing Chase's, I actually think it will clutter up the story too much, so I'm just gonna make brief anecdotes throughout instead and focus backstories on their own fiction at a later date.**

 **Thanks for the feedback so far guys, it's nice to know people are reading this.**

Chapter 4: Breaking News

 _A few hours before losing contact with Ryder._

"Come on Chickaletta. You know the drill by now?" Marshall said, laughing as the hen jumped onto his helmet. "Good chicken" he laughed, beginning to descend his ladders. "Rocky, we should be good to go". Rocky looked up and smiled. "OH MARSHALL YOU HERO!" The familiar voice of Mayor Goodway rang across the plaza. "You daft chicken, fancy going out at a time like this! These pups need to rest and so do you!" She said as she took the chicken from Marshall's head and placed her back in her purse. "Thank you PAW Patrol, you saved my little chickypoo, again." She said, rolling her eyes and laughing.

"No problem Mayor Goodway, if you ever need a chicken rescue, just yelp for help!", Rocky said, earning a smirk from Marshall. "You best be off pups. Ryder told me you should be in bed soon!", the Mayor added before walking back into the Town Hall. "Ryder told her?" Rocky asked, before getting a light tap on the back of his head. "What, what'd I do?" Marshall laughed. "I'm meant to say yelp for help!" Rocky grinned back. "Sorry Marshall. Never got chance to say it before. Feels right. At least I didn't have to use Chase's gear. You're getting better with that ladder buddy". Marshall blushed, remembering all the times he had to ice his own butt because of that ladder.

"Yeah, Chase doesn't like people touching his stuff", Marshall responded, rubbing his rear from memory. "So, we just head back now, right?" Marshall nodded before retracting his ladder and starting his engine. "Good first rescue Captain!", Rocky said before driving off down the road. "Hey! Don't leave me behind!" Marshall yelled before following the mixed breed back up the hill.

By now, the sun was far gone, leaving behind a clear sky, full of glistening stars and a bright moon, bouncing on the waves silently.

"Hey guys, how'd the wescue go?" Zuma said, holding an ice pack ready. "Went well Zuma, Marshall is made for this!" Rocky replied as he took the ice pack and put it back. "Hey, we might need that for Mawshall!" Zuma laughed. "Not this time Zuma", he stopped laughing as the Dally walked in smiling.

"So did Rocky break Chase's gear?" Rubble asked, wandering up to the group with Skye. "No Rubble, I didn't" he retorted. "Dang, I owe Zuma some treats" Rubble said disappointingly, looking over at the Chocolate Lab who was triumphantly smirking. "Pay up Wubble". The bulldog muttered something under his breath, something about never winning. They all just laughed at this, even Rubble giggled slightly as he handed a stack of treats to his friend.

"Right pups, there's an hour before bedtime, so.. uh, do what you want I suppose. I'm gonna go fill in Ryder with today's progress", Marshall said, puffing his chest out. "Yes Sir Marshall, Sir" All four pups responded, causing the Dally to blush and roll his eyes before wandering into the elevator.

"This isn't so bad".

* * *

 _20 Minutes later_

Marshall sat staring up at the big screen, unable to process what had just happened. Rocky might be right, sure Chase and Ryder just need to fly East for a while, and they'll be fine, but what if they didn't? What if they don't know which way is East and end up flying somewhere else?

Rocky had left the control room, but not before Marshall told him not to tell the pups. As leader, he and Rocky agreed it would be best if he broke the news. But how? How was he meant to tell the rest of the team that two of their own might not make it back? Marshall grimaced at the thought, his imagination running wild at all the outcomes. What if the pups don't think he's up for taking over for that long? I guess he'd be okay with that, but who would take over? Surely Skye or Rocky might do a better job?

" _Marshall, being part of the PAW Patrol means you have to be prepared for every outcome_ ". He sat, letting those words bounce around in his head for a while. "Ryder is right", standing up, the dalmatian pup walked towards the elevator. "Like it or not, he's counting on me". The elevator began to descend. As the view of the lounge area came into view, Marshall gulped. Rocky was sat away from the rest of the team, whilst Zuma, Skye and Rubble were watching TV.

"Hey Mawshall, have you seen this stowm?" Zuma asked, pointing at the TV. "They say it's headed towards Adventure Bay, shouldn't we do something?" Rubble questioned. Marshall glanced over at Rocky, who put his book down and stood up, wandering over to the rest of the team.

"Pups, I have some news", Marshall announced, finding his voice. The rest of the pups turned to face him. "Ryder and Chase.. well", he glanced over to Rocky, who was nodding solemnly, "Ryder and Chase are.. well". "Wyder and Chase awre what?" Zuma asked, getting frustrated. "They are gonna be longer than we thought". The others sighed in relief.

"Is that it? Chase and Ryder are gonna be late? Haha, you had me worried for a moment there Marshall", Skye said giggling. Rocky looked up to Marshall with a doubtful glance. "Guys, look. The Air Patroller lost control above the centre of that storm. Rocky and I watched as it began falling to the ocean". Skye stopped giggling, staring blankly at the Dally, as did the rest of the pups. "Ryder was calling for help as it fell. As far as I know, both he and Chase were in their flight gear before we lost contact". "Lost contact?!" The three pups yelled.

"Whilst Marshall and I were trying to radio nearby ships, planes or anything we could, they fell into the storm. From there, we lost contact with them", Rocky said, trying to take some strain from the clearly faltering dalmatian. "So what? Awre they okay? Shouldn't we be out there too?" Zuma asked quickly, firing off questions as quick as he thought of them, not giving either Rocky or Marshall a chance to answer.

"Zuma we-" Marshall tried to explain, before being cutoff by Rubble. "Marshall, we have to go out and get them. They could be anywhere!". "That's where you're wrong Rubble", Rocky interjected, taking the floor. "All of Ryder's vehicles have locators, we have the last known location of the Air Patroller right here" he said, pointing at the TV as it switched to a map.

"They're in the ocean!?" Skye yelled. "Well, the Air Patroller is, but we don't know about Ryder or Chase." Marshall said, "like I said, they had their flight gear, so for now, they should be fine" Marshall said, sighing, hoping he was right. "Should be? SHOULD BE? How are we meant to take comfort in a SHOULD BE?!" Skye yelled angrily.

"Skye, calm down, Marshall didn't pilot the Air Patroller into the ocean, there is no need to be upset at him". Rocky said, stepping in front of the Dalmatian. "I know Rocky, sorry. But I'm worried about Chase!" She squeaked, everyone looking at her. "And Ryder! Chase and Ryder! I'm worried for.. both of them, duh" She said, turning her burning red face away.

"We still need to do something though, right dudes?" Zuma asked, looking at Rocky and Marshall. Marshall stepped forward. "Without Robo-Dog, we can't take the Sea Patroller, and Zuma, your Hovercraft is not fit for driving in those waters." Zuma hung his head. "So, we do.. nothing?" Rubble asked.

"Look pups, this is Ryder and Chase, by now, they've probably thought of at least ten plans. They know what to do. In the meantime, Rocky and I will monitor every source we have to try and contact them. Chase is way out of range for our puptags to work, so for now, we do what we can from here. Besides, that storm will hit us tomorrow, so we should prepare the town just in case". Marshall said commandingly. Rocky looked up at him.

He had never seen the Dalmatian so serious before, it was like a different pup. Even his body language just screamed control. "He's wight guys, we can't contwol the uncontwollable. All we can do is do what Wyder would expect. Protect our town", the others stood and cheered, enthusiastically, as if someone just told them all they were going for their shots again.

"Ok guys, get some sleep. We are up early tomorrow to start prepping the town". Marshall commanded, before sitting down as the pups left, all except Rocky. "Marshall, dude. That was some top quality leading there!". Marshall blushed again, "Um, thanks Rocky. Is there really nothing else we can do, you're the smartest pup here! Surely you can think of something!" Marshall asked, desperate to find a way to look for Ryder and Chase.

"I'll send some messages out to all the ships in the area. Perhaps Captain Turbot might be sailing that way soon? I'll alert anyone I can to look for them". Rocky said, wrapping a paw around his friend's neck. "Thanks Rocky. I don't know what I'd be doing without you". Marshall sighed. "Are you kidding? The way you just took charge shows you know what you're doing. I wouldn't know what to do in this situation. Marshall, Ryder knew what he was doing when he chose you to lead. Don't doubt that". Rocky said before standing up. "I'm off to bed. You should be too", Marshall looked up as the mixed breed left the tower to his puphouse.

"Thanks Rocky. Maybe I can do this". Marshall stood and turned off the lights before leaving and snuggling down into his own pup house, looking out across the ocean, hoping Rocky was right.

* * *

 _9 Hours since Incident_

" _Chase! Ryder! No!_ " Marshall watched as the two banged against the glass cockpit on the Air Patroller, yelling for Marshall's help. " _Marshall, we need you!"_ Ryder yelled, " _Save us Marshall!_ " Chase whimpered, before the ocean claimed the plane into the briny abyss. Marshall dove in afterwards, but instead of hitting water, he fell onto the lookout floor.

" _You're useless Marshall. You mean there's nothing we can do?"_ Skye angrily yelled, _"But-"_ Marshall was thrown to the floor. " _How can we have a leader that lets his friends drown?"_ Rubble joined in with Skye. _"Mawshall, we could've have saved them!"_ Zuma cried, not looking up. " _Rocky?"_ Marshall cried, looking up at his friend. " _You're no friend of mine"_ Rocky said, biting down on his paw hard. Marshall cried out in pain, looking down as blood dripped. But the blood soon changed to water. Water streamed from his paws, from the eyes of his friends, from every socket in the lookout, filling the room with salty water. He looked around, seeing two figures floating on the ceiling. He realised he was in the Air Patroller. Chase and Ryder's bodies floated on the ceiling. Marshall screamed out, but only bubbles escaped.

* * *

"No, no! Nooooo!" Marshal jolted upright, gasping for air and throwing his puphouse door open. The other pups stirred at the metallic clang and gasping.

"It was, a dream?" Marshall said, feeling his heartbeat in his ears. Looking around, everything looked grey. "What if, that is how the pups feel? What if Ryder and Chase are gone?" He said, hot tears prickling the back of his eyes like needles.

His sorrow was cut short by a familiar beeping. Looking down, he saw Captain Turbot's face on his collar. He breathed in heavily and breathed out the same. "Ok Marshall, calm down. It was a bad dream, nothing more. You have to be strong, for the team! For Ryder". He pressed his tag.

"Captain Turbot, what can I do for ya?" "Marshall! According to my blimp, there's a seriously strong storm headed it's way to Adventure Bay! If no one does anything, the consequences from this calamity could be catastrophic!" Marshall nodded, "Don't worry Captain, the PAW Patrol will help out. You start warning people around town. No storm is too big, no pup is too small" Marshall said before disconnecting the call and flipping his collar. "PAW Patrol, to the lookout".

* * *

 **So, I wanted to show that Marshall is beginning to feel like he isn't good enough, and what better way to do it than a dream? I struggled to make conflict in this Chapter, and I know not every chapter needs it, but it felt a bit... flat without the dream sequence I suppose. Adding depth to Marshall? Will he keep his dream a secret? What will happen when he bottles it all up and doesn't talk to someone?**

 **Eh, I don't like rhetorical questions. Anyways, this is no where near as long as Chase's chapter was, which was over 7000 words I believe. I think each chapter from now on won't be more than 5000 words, a balance between 1000 and 5000 seems enough, and not every chapter will be action packed either.**

 **I also added the idea of a timer (essentially), so that you can get a sense of time as it passes. "Incident" refers to the crash, obviously, or when the pups lost contact with Chase and Ryder. Let me know what you think of that idea and if it's worth keeping in? It might help show a build up of pressure.**

 **Thanks for the follows again guys. I'm genuinely happy people are enjoying this. College starts again next week, so don't expect my chapters to be updated as quickly as they have been. Besides, if I upload it all at once, only a select few people will see it, so it's better to stagger updates anyways.**

 **Thanks guys.**

 **PupPupGo ~ xx**


	5. Chapter 5: Crashing Reality

**So this story was thrown into a hiatus for a while. Anyone who looked at my profile knows this. Due to college work which I now _think (but more hope)_ is done, I should be able to get back to regular updates. This chapter will be rather short in comparison to all my other chapters. Sorry about that.**

 **Thank you for the kind PMs, those of you who sent them already know about what I just said. Without further ado, I give you chapter 5 of Burning Responsibility.**

 **Just a heads up, there's a rather... gruesomely described scene later in this chapter. Might not be good for the squeamish. ;)**

* * *

Chapter 5: Crashing Reality

 _72 Minutes Since Incident_

The wind was blowing strong, Chase's fur was matted down by the seemingly eternal downpour both he and Ryder were flying through. The clouds crashed angrily, causing a whimper from the shepherd pup. Below, the sea waited hungrily for them to fall, waves colliding with each other with great enthusiasm. Light was fading fast now, what little of the sun Chase could see was now vanishing quickly beyond the horizon.

Ryder looked over at his pup with concern. Chase was a strong dog, he always thought his will was unbreakable, and even in this moment, it seemed that way still. Along with the sun, the temperature plummeted. Ryder kept an eye out for anything they could land on, a boat, an island, even another aircraft. He scanned the horizon for anything, before diverting his attention to a new problem. Chase was beeping. Or more specifically, his pack was beeping.

" _Fuel Reserve Now In Use. 15 Minutes Remaining"._ Chase heard this too, he looked up at Ryder. "We need to land Ryder!" Chase yelled through the wind. Ryder nodded, but what could they land on? There was still nothing ahead of them. "Chase, fly over to me!", Chase looked over and moved towards Ryder. He felt his arms wrap around his chest, and then his pack deactivated. "Ryder?" "Only one of us needs to fly for now, we need to stretch our fuel as much as possible. We've been flying east for over an hour, we must be near Barkingburg by now. " _Fuel Reserve Now In Use. 15 Minutes Remaining"_ Ryder looked at his visor, he too was now in reserves. "We have to get to land, fast." Chase felt his owner's arm grip tighter. Ryder wasn't one for showing fear, he had to be strong in front of his pups, but Chase and Ryder have always been open to each other, they had to be. "Ryder, what if we don't make it to land?" Chase said, stuttering on the question neither of them wanted to ask. Ryder was silent, for a while, only the sound of Ryder's flight pack and the storm filled their ears. "I.. I don't know Chase" Ryder answered.

For once in his life, Chase felt unsure of his owner. Ryder is the smartest person he knew, surely he had something for this kind of situation? Anything. He was always prepared, that was Ryder's biggest positive. There was no situation in which he was unsure, but now Chase felt the same as Ryder. They didn't know what to do. All they can do is hope something, literally anything but water, appears below them soon.

" _Caution. Fuel Reserve Now at 38% 8 Minutes Remaining"._ ' _That's not helping'_ Ryder thought to himself. He had to have faith that they would be okay, not just for them, but for his other pups at home. Marshall could only hold out so long before needing help, even Ryder knew that. He continued to scan the horizon.

"Ryder! Look left!" Chased yelled, Ryder looked the same direction his pup did and saw something. Something that filled him with hope, something he was missing now. "Land! It's not far, but I don't know if we have enough power to make it" Ryder yelled over the storm. "We don't have another option". Ryder changed course. With one of his arms taken by his pup, it was difficult to fly, he struggled to fly against the wind, occasionally veering off too far.

" _Warning. Fuel Reserve Now at 15% 4 Minutes Remaining"._ "We can make it. We have to make it!" Chase whimpered. The island came closer at an agonizing rate, it almost seemed as if they weren't moving at all. Slowly but surely, it came into view. They didn't see much. The clouds were so dense in this storm, they could make out a peak, and a lot of trees, "pretty standard for an island" Chase thought to himself.

" _Emergency. Fuel Reserve Depleted. Deploy Parachute"._ The message looped. "We aren't close enough yet!" Ryder yelled, frustrated. Chase activated his pack, forcing Ryder's arm off of himself. "Chase, what are you doing?" Ryder yelled. "You can't glide with one arm, we can both glide to land". Chase's pack opened up, his large triangular glider expanding above him. " _Warning. Fuel Reserve Now at 18% 5 Minutes remaining"_ "I can guide both of us with what I have left. We can't control our direction in this wind, it's just too strong". Ryder nodded, impressed by the pup's quick thinking. Chase flew alongside, keeping his thrusters at low, just enough to steer.

"My suit doesn't have a parachute. I never repacked it after our last air patroller mission". Ryder said, pulling the red cord on his chest. "I'll have to slow my descent myself. Chase, we're almost over land, I'm going to begin heading down. You go to the beach." Chase nodded as he left his owner in the air, looking back over his shoulders in worry.

Chase began his descent, the land they both sought after for ages finally in view. The soaked sandy beaches and swinging trees looking more inviting than anything he had ever seen before. Chase felt something he hadn't felt in the past few hours, he felt safe. Even though he wasn't home, he was here, with Ryder. He had found land, there was a good chance of being saved now. Everything was working out for the better.

 _CRA-AKC._ A strong gust of wind hit the pup from the side, blowing him across the sky. He looked around. He was falling. Fast. He looked down and the once inviting wet beach was now getting closer and closer at a terrifying rate. Chase began to cry out in alarm, he looked back and saw a sparking stub of where his glider had once been. It was never designed for flying of this caliber, the wind was far too strong for the arm holding it up and it had ripped his glider clean off from his pack, along with his parachute.

Ryder watched as his pup fell, tucking his arms and legs in as he dived as fast as he could towards the helpless shepherd, using whatever speed he had left to catch up.

The two fell fast. Faster than a rock falling from a high cliff. The wind began to make Chase tear up as his visor fell off, he squinted through his teary eyes, seeing the beach approach stupidly fast. His heart was beating rapidly, he began clawing at his pack, finding anything that could help him. He pulled the red cord, only for nothing to happen. His chute went with his glider. He had nothing to slow him down. He was going to die. He knew it. He turned to face the ground once more, screaming as he hurtled towards it before being suddenly winded by a blur, yelping at sudden incredible pain.

Ryder flew into the side of his pup. Wrapping himself around him as much as possible and aiming for the water. "Brace yourself Chase!"

Cold surrounded the two figures. They were out of the air, but now at least 15 ft underwater. The waves above tossed them around as they both tried to swim back to the surface. Ryder looked over at Chase before his life jacket activated. Ryder began to float towards the surface, grabbing his dog on the way up. They burst through the surface of the water, but the air was still as unforgiving as before. Ryder looked down at his soaked pup, who kept yelping. He looked around before seeing the peak of the island they were both falling to. He immediately began to swim towards it, holding Chase close to him.

His fingers clawed into the sand has he reached the beach, letting go of Chase who laid next to him, panting heavily alongside his owner. They sat in absolute silence for a few minutes, staring out at the sea and the storm. " _Who knows where the Air Patroller is now?"_ Ryder thought to himself. He looked over at Chase who was busy sniffing his own front leg. "Chase? You okay?" Chase looked up at his owner. His eyes showed complete concern, rain dripping from his now flat hair. Chase knew he should be strong, but he found it difficult to pull up the courage in this moment. He was just seconds away from death, literally seconds. He was so close to hitting that sand. If Ryder was just a bit slower, neither of them would have made it into the water. Chase looked into his owner's eyes, and said nothing, but simply began to cry. They were stuck, with no chance of communicating with the rest of the team. He had seen enough movies and read enough stories to know that most people who end up stuck on an island, usually end up living on the island.

Ryder pulled his pup in close, expecting a hug back from the terrified dog, but instead only got a pained yelp. "Chase?" Ryder let go of the pup quickly, letting him sink back to the sand. Chase looked down at his leg. "It hurts Ryder." Ryder looked down at Chase's leg. It was twisted, and not just like a twisted ankle, his paw was facing the wrong way.

Ryder's eyes widened as he realized what happened. " _Moving at that speed, that angle, I must have done that"_ Ryder thought to himself, looking at the paw. "Chase I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to, I-" Chase looked up and smiled through his tears. "It was this or dying Ryder. I like this better than the alternative". He said, wincing. "Chase, you know, we can't leave it like that", Ryder said, gesturing to the paw. Chase knew what this meant. He remembered when Rocky got his paw stuck in his garbage truck forklift and the same thing happened to him. As the lift moved, it trapped his paw, twisting it a full 90 degrees. the poor mixed breed screamed for minutes before someone came out. He then remembered what happened next. Marshall was so apologetic, but he knew it couldn't stay that way. He watched as the dalmatian pup gave the mixed breed a slight sedative, before quickly twisting the paw back in place, apologizing constantly as the grey pup yelped and squirmed. It took a few seconds, but for Rocky, they were the longest seconds of his life. Chase knew it was his turn to feel the same. And he didn't want it.

"Can it not heal?" Chase asked, still crying. "You know it won't like that Chase. If we let it heal, it will be facing that way permanently". Ryder said, softly. "I know it's gonna hurt Chase but, there isn't another option now, we can wait until later, until your ready, but it needs to be soon." Chase sat and thought to himself. "Do it". Chase commanded. "Are you sure?" Ryder asked. "There's no point delaying it. It's gonna hurt no matter what time we do it". Chase said, his ears folding down and gritting his teeth. Ryder was proud of his brave pup.

"At least Rocky got painkillers" Chase said to himself. "Hold still Chase, don't move at all, it's going to hurt, a lot, and I'm sorry there's nothing I can do about that." Chase nodded, and then closed his eyes. He laid himself down on his side and gritted his teeth. "Go".

Ryder took hold of the paw, and pulled it downwards, he felt the bones inside scrape against each other as he began to turn it around again. Chase, in the meantime, was beginning to wish he hit the sand. That'd been quicker. He screamed, louder than any scream he had heard before. Yelling for Ryder to stop, causing the boy to burst into tears. "I can't Chase. I'm almost done, just a few more seconds". The paw twisted back, bones cracking back into place and splintering as they rubbed against each other, trapping nerves, eliciting howls of intense agony from the downed pup. Ryder almost vomited at the feeling of bone rubbing against bone, the paw almost sat back in place. "Almost done Chase". Scream upon scream left the dog as he felt his bones shift around inside his leg, on the verge of passing out from the pain.

"Done." Ryder said, wiping the tears from his eyes. It was his fault he was like this, if he was just a little more careful with the angle. Chase vomited from the pain, the acrid smell filling both of their noses as he looked down at his now right-facing paw. "It's gonna take weeks to heal, we need to keep it straight". Ryder lifted his dog off of the sand, causing him to yelp again. "I'm sorry Chase, but we need to get out of this rain. We'll end up dead if we stay out here much longer". Ryder made his way up shore, looking back at the ocean he had recently pulled them out of before disappearing into the undergrowth.

* * *

 _3 Hours After Incident_

The lush canopy above them offered them little pity as the rain continued to drip down through the broad leaves. Mud encased Ryder's boots, keeping his feet soaked. The extra weight of his soaked pup pulling him to a stop.

"Chase, I can't walk any further, we'll have to stay here". Ryder gestured to a small opening in the rocks in the distance. "It's at least past midnight by now, we need rest, you more than anyone". He slowly trudged towards the cave, holding his injured friend before finally feeling dry air.

Ryder slumped down against a wall, breathing heavily as he let go of Chase, slowly placing him down against the wall. "I'm sorry Ryder, I'm making this more difficult", Chase said with obvious guilt in his voice. Ryder was too out of breath to respond, he simply shook his head and patted Chase on the back. "Don't be stupid Chase. Now, lets see if we can get that paw strapped up for now".

Even in the total wilderness with nothing to help him, Ryder managed to fashion a splint out of branches and palm leaves, securely holding Chase's leg in place. "That should hold until we manage to make contact". Ryder said, shrugging at his make-shift medical work. "Thank you Ryder". Chase said, before lowering himself to the floor, lying on his un-broken side.

Ryder and Chase watched as the rain poured down, neither being able to sleep. A faint buzzing sound echoed through the caves. "Ryder? What's that noise?" Ryder once again shrugged, straining his ears to find it. Chase looked around, sniffing and listening for anything he could find that could be the source. "Sounds like it's coming from me, Ryder." Chase chuckled. Ryder slapped his head. "Of course!" Chase looked up with concern. "Um, Ryder, I don't buzz. I'm a dog, not a fly". "It's not organic, it's your collar Chase!".

Chase looked down, and albeit faintly, his collar was indeed glowing, and buzzing, quietly. "But, we're too far for anyone to contact us". Ryder nodded, "but at this moment, it's our best chance. Perhaps I can boost the signal? Or do something. I have to try". "Ryder, sir. We're in the middle of a jungle, on an island with nothing on it. I hate to be a downer, but I don't think there's much we can do with technology here". Ryder felt somewhat disheartened, Chase noticed. "But.. if anyone can do anything, it'd be you Ryder", Chase quickly followed, removing his collar. Ryder held the flickering blue tag close to him, like the last embers of a fire he was not willing to let out. "It's all we have left Chase. I'm gonna need your flight pack too." Chase shrugged the blue pack off of his back. "Not much use to me now anyways".

Ryder took Chase's pack, turned around, and slammed it against the wall, again, and again and again. Shattering the casing opening. Every hit made the wounded shepherd wince. He sat, wondering if his owner had gone mad, or was so desperate, he was trying anything he had left.

The casing around his pack smashed open, revealing a plethora of mechincal and electrical parts. "Perfect!" Ryder said, grabbing wires and parts that Chase had no idea of what they did or how they would help. Chase watched as Ryder pried Chase's pup tag open. Some part of Chase didn't like that. His tag was his identity. He'd had it since he moved in with Ryder's family, and through all the time that followed, and now he was watching the very person who gave it to him, pull it apart like candy floss.

"I'm sorry Chase, but if we're getting out of here, I need to do it". Chase nodded as he continued to pull put small cables and link them up to his flight pack. The blue light began to glow brighter, the buzzing became more literal. It sounded like a voice, but a very broken voice. Static took most of the conversation. "It's the air patroller", Ryder finally said, breaking Chase's straining concentration. "Huh?" The pup asked, tilting his head. "The air patroller, like all the vehicles, has a failsafe. Should it become damaged, it will begin to transmit an SOS frequency. It works on the same frequency as your collars, but over time, it'll open up to as many frequencies as it can get a hold of. It's been at least 3 or 4 hours since we crashed now, it shouldn't be broadcasting on all frequencies yet, but according to your tag, it is. The only way that is possible, is if someone moved it to the next stage, but that would mean they'd have to be in the patroller". Ryder said, thinking hard. "Um, Ryder?" Ryder looked up at the sodden pup. "Robodog?" Chase said, Ryder again, slapping his face. "It's so obvious isn't it? Robodog knew the plane was going down, so he sent the distress call before it went under. SO... It is on all frequencies. We're gonna be saved!".

Chase was about to join his friend in cheering, but Ryder's face fell gravely serious again. "But".. Chase felt his heart sink once more. "But, we must have flown miles from the crash site, in any direction. There's no chance they'd know where we are", Ryder explained. Chase whimpered. "But sir, if it's broadcasting, won't the Lookout receive it too?" Ryder nodded solemnly. "Then, we may as already be considered saved. The pups will know what to do, and with Marshall leading, he'll know where to go".

Ryder hugged his soggy pup, before putting the tag down. It began to buzz again. "It sounds different". Chase said, Ryder shrugged as he held his dog close. "Different languages, it broadcasts everywhere". "No no no, I mean, it's still in English, but it's not the air patroller. It sounds like, Marshall".

Ryder sat up. Once again, it was mostly static. "-ase, your ta- is on the scree-we can-can yo-hear us?" Chase slammed his paw onto the tag. "Marshall! We can hear you! We crashed, I'm hurt. Ryder is fine" He said with tears in his eyes, hope brimming in the young pup. "If you ca-hear m-respond-" Marshall kept speaking, so did Chase. "I am responding Marshall. Please!" His tears of joy became tears of frustration, and then he heard another voice. "Cha-yder, we're al-for you-can you say any-ng". Ryder picked up the tag. "Skye, it's Ryder, can you hear me?" More static words came through, along with the sounds of multiple pups sobbing.

"They can't hear us. We can hear them. What's happened Ryder?" Chase said, wiping his eyes. "Lack of power. There isn't enough energy left for the communication to be 2 way. There's nothing I can do without more power". Ryder sunk back down defeatedly. The two heroes sat for a while, listening to various broadcasts from each of the pups. All of them basically saying the same thing. Ryder admired their persistence, but he knew they couldn't spend long whimpering at nothing.

"So, what now?" Chase finally broke their silence. Ryder listened back at a few of the broadcasts. "Marshall said he could see the collar on screen. But the collars don't have any tracking functions. Daft I know, I probably should have put them in ages ago". Chase nodded, agreeing that on many missions, a tracker would have made things so much easier. "So what did he mean by saying your tag was onscreen?" Ryder sat and thought for a few seconds. "The Air Patroller, he can see its last broadcast location, your collar links to the nearest source of communication, which would be the air patroller from here. They know where we crashed". Chase smiled again. "So they'll be on their way?" Ryder shook his head. "I wouldn't let them go out on a mission like this without me. I trust Marshall, but Adventure Bay is a small place, the entire Atlantic is huge. There is no way they'd be safe".

"But they wouldn't do nothing? It's the pups, if I were in their position, I'd be trying to get out here as fast as possible to find us". Ryder looked at him sternly. "Chase. Listen to me. No matter what situation I am in, you guys come first above me everytime. Without. Question. I won't ever risk the safety of the only family I have left for my own benefit. I would expect better from you". Chase folded his ears down at the scolding. He wasn't expecting his remark of heroism to be met with such disappointment. "Even so, sir, they'll do something." Ryder nodded. "Who knows what they'll do, they know where the patroller is, but they won't know where we are, not even we do". Ryder looked out of the cave, staring at the rain as it whipped past the entrance in the dark.

"We don't know where we are". Ryder said, Chase looked up from his rest. "We don't know.. where we are!" Chase was suprised at Ryder's tone, he almost sounded excited. "Umm, Ryder. That's a bad thing, remember". Ryder turned quickly, smiling at Chase with a grin that almost seemed sinister in the low light. "It's only bad if it's true!". Chase once again was left with no idea of what was happening. Ryder pulled something from his pocket. "My pup-pad!" It was dripping, water welled up behind the screen. "Your pup-pad is totaled Ryder". Ryder smashed it against a rock, breaking the case open and causing Chase's hackles to rise. "Ryder! What the hell are you doing?" Chase snarled slightly, his owner seemingly gone mad. "My pup-pad is traceable, completely, but not remotely. I can find out where we are, then we will know our location, and use it to help the pups!"

"How will us knowing our own location help the pups, you said it yourself, my tag cannot respond to their broadcasts." Ryder began to get somewhat defensive. "Chase, trust me, now take off your collar completely, Im gonna need the clasp".

Ryder began working through the night, pulling Chase's pup pack and his own tablet apart, binding electronic parts with simple twine. "Rudimentary? sure, functional? I sure hope so". Chase fell asleep rather quickly. He felt it best to let Ryder do as he pleases, perhaps it'd be easier for the both of them. But no sooner than Chase falling asleep, he was awoken again.

"Chase! I did it!" Chase looked at the strange contraption before him. "It's uhhhh, it's-" "It's our ticket home!" Chase cocked his head. "Remember when I showed you Morse Code? I've made a Morse Generator which will extrapolate the information sent via this GPS chip from my pup-pad into Morse Code for us to listen to. I can convert it, and then, using your pup tag, broadcast it to every network I can!"

"That's awesome Ryder! But, my tag can't broadcast, for the third time", he said rolling his eyes. Ryder's eye twitched slightly, his lack of sleep beginning to show. "Morse Code requires such little energy, we can swap the power being used to receive messages, and use it to broadcast!". Chase began to understand. "And my collar broadcasts on all frequencies possible thanks to the Air Patroller!" Ryder nodded enthusiastically. "You can tell the pups where we are!" Ryder and Chase cheered together. Ryder clamped his pad to Chase's tag, and it began to beep. Ryder sat and listened. Chase's ears flinched at each tone, it wasn't a pleasant sound, but what it was doing, what the sound meant, made Chase bear with it.

"Atlantico Islands, that's where we are! We're far from shores in all directions, including home, but these islands used to have people on them. We can find food for sure, and water". Ryder was getting somewhat worried. "But, what if the pups don't hear the message. Or don't know how to decipher it?" Chase put his good paw on Ryder's lap. "They'll hear it. And don't forget, Rocky knows every code under the sun, he probably has his own code, if anyone can understand it, it'd be him!".

Chase and Ryder sat and listened to the Morse Code. To them, it was a sweet sound, like the best lullaby they could hear, and in a matter of moments, they both fell asleep. The wind rushed outside constantly through the night, but after everything that had happened that day, the two slept soundly. Nothing would wake them.

* * *

 _12 Hours Later_

 _"_ _We're almost done boarding up the doors here Marshall. Rubble is headed your way to help Zuma build up a storm wall on the beach",_ Rocky updated Marshall. "Great work guys, I've finished tying everything loose down. Skye, how goes your work?", _"Blankets and supplies delivered Marshall, Everest and Jake send their best!"._ "They don't know yet, do they?" " _I never told them, no. We have enough to sort as it is without two more people being worried."._

Marshall sighed. ' _People just have to think they've extended their stay or something. We don't need a town of panicking people'._ Marshall sat alone with his thoughts, until the whirr of a dumptruck broke his concentration. "Storm wall is all done Marshall, we should head back, that storm is getting too close now, and Rocky won't like to get wet out here", " _I heard that!"._ The pups all chuckled. "Ok everyone, head back as soon as you can.

Zuma, Rubble, Rocky and Skye all headed back up to the lookout, their vehicles all meeting at the bridge one by one. Marshall jumped into his firetruck, looking out over the bay. ' _Where are you guys?'_ He started his truck, the engine roaring to life with his sirens. He went to press his paw against the gas, but stopped. "Hey, what's that noise?" A variety of beeps came from his collar, and then stopped before he realised where they came from. He looked around and shrugged. "Captain Turbot! You should go to the town hall with everyone else. It'll be safer. Besides, Zuma's reinforcement will protect the Flounder!" Captain Turbot tried to respond, but the wind blew his voice away. He simply gave Marshall a thumbs up before walking towards the town hall.

* * *

 _13 Hours Later_

"Jake? Where did Skye put the bandages? We've got an injured moose on the loose". Everest chuckled. "Moose on the loose, ha, good one Everest", she said to herself.

"Don't know! Try the bathroom?" Everest walked down the hall of the cabin, past multiple rooms, before stopping, her ears raised. A series of beeps came from Jake's room. She slowly pushed the door open. In the corner was a headset, and various radios. As the mountain rescue team, they had lots of ways to hear distress calls, but she had never heard this one before. "Hey, Jake?" Jake's head popped round the door. "That beeping, what is it?" Jake opened the door more and walked in. "That's Morse Code, but I don't know it. Captain Turbot gave me this ages ago. He said he never used it, maybe I could get some use out of it. But I never got round to learning how to decode it".

"I know someone who could!" Everest yipped. "Hey, Rocky, do you hear me?" Static returned. "Must be the storm. Suppose we'll just have to wait until it passes?"

Jake shrugged. "Suppose so. Come on, let's go and look at this moose".

* * *

 **Well ladies and gents, that's all I have time for today. Im so sorry it genuinely took this long. So much work just appeared and I couldn't risk not getting the grades I wanted over a cartoon. Sorry.**

 **But! Im back now, and I'm happy to say I have more chapters on the way this week I hope! I also want to say, anyone who saw it, what did you think of the Ultimate Rescue episode? I love the vehicles! I have seen pictures of Marshall having an Ultimate rescue toy, along with the rest of the pups, so who knows, maybe we have an Ultimate Fire Rescue on the way and we can actually see him lead the team!**

 **As always, criticism is welcome. I don't feel great about this chapter, as not a lot happens, and I feel as if I rushed into finding a solution to Chase and Ryder's problem, so I made it so that they won't be able to be rescued too quickly. Don't worry, complications shall arise!**


	6. Chapter 6: Do you hear something?

**I'm very glad that people are enjoying this story, and all of your reviews, follows and PMs really drive me to continue it. I'm coming up to some complicated months regarding University and such, so bear with me. I'm sorry the wait between each chapter is so long, it's difficult writing fanfiction about a kids cartoon without people you live with finding out, and I would rather they didn't. I rarely have time to myself and it is difficult to write without someone seeing.**

 **My plan is now, shorter chapters, but uploaded more often?**

 **As always, I love reading reviews, answering questions, etc. Below I have answered the reviews that have been left on the previous chapters.**

 **Responses to reviews:**

 _ **Macapedia:**_ _Thanks for the follow, and the review, Ryder and Chase will get rescued eventually, yes, that's the plan and it's not difficult to figure it out, but it won't be soon. I want there to be a bit more drama prior to that for Marshall to work around, after all, this story is sorta meant to be based around him and I think I've kind of wandered off from that a bit._

 ** _Zuma Lover:_** _Not sure what you meant by "you took the words right out of my mouth". I don't really intend on adding OCs to my stories, and if I do, they would have minimal impact on the overall plot, e.g. no sudden family members that stick around forever. Sometimes they feel like scapegoats. And of course you can ask me a question, feel free to PM me whenever._

 ** _Chase:_** _I'm glad you're finding the story interesting. I am trying to improve my writing overall, so I'm glad you felt like you were with Ryder and Chase, as that's what a good story is meant to make you feel like. Lots of other stories on here do that too and I hope you find some other good ones to enjoy._

 ** _Max waspace:_** _Glad you're finding it "cool" :)_

 ** _Entity of Spite:_** _I appreciate the help starting out, and I see you do that to every new writer in this fandom and it is immensely appreciated. Keep up the good work too._

 **Always happy to discuss things. Anyways, here's chapter 6.**

* * *

Chapter 6: Do you hear something?

 _20 Hours Since Incident_

The air was still despite the constant battering from the storm. The lookout stood firm against the angered wind outside, rain peeling down the walls and covering the windows. Lighting lit the otherwise black sky. Inside the structure, five pups slept. Sleeping bags lined the otherwise cold floor, each cradling a snoring inhabitant. Low rumbles of thunder plagued the town of Adventure Bay, drowning out an otherwise inaudible sound, a constant, but quiet beeping coming from who knows where?

A blinding flash intruded through the windows, washing the walls in white light, paired with the synchronous crash of thunder. The sleeping bags stirred, all but one. Marshall sat upright, rubbing his eyes with his paws, yawning and stretching the sleep from his bones. He wandered over to the window, looking at a distorted Adventure Bay through the rain.  
"Gee, it's really coming down. Glad we got all that work done before it hit, right guys?" Marshall turned to face his team, all of whom were still fast asleep, snoring and dreaming. Marshall shrugged and wandered off to the bathroom.

A small lab woke up to the sound of a door closing. Looking around with his eyes half open, he noticed the absence of their stand-in leader. He sat up, mirroring Marshall's earlier wake up routine.  
"I'm supwised anyone is sleeping thwough this storm", he said to himself quietly, wandering around the lookout. The ground beneath his paws shook with each crash of thunder. Zuma sat in front of the big glass doors, looking out at the drive. Marshall and Chase's trucks sat like sentinels either side. Sure, they were waterproof as pup houses, but after what had happened, all the pups decided it would be best to stick together for the night, besides, what's more fun in a storm than a sleepover?

"Where awe you guys?" Zuma sighed, placing a paw on the glass. He raised an ear at the sound of footsteps behind him. He didn't bother turning as he knew who it was. "So why awe you up?" Zuma moved to the left, letting Marshall take a seat next to him.  
"Sound of water makes me need the bathroom" Marshall said, shrugging and earning a chuckle from Zuma. Marshall smiled, despite everything that had happened that day, he was glad his sense of humor stuck around. "This is a big mess Zuma. I don't know what we're meant to do. Would Ryder even want us spending our time looking for them? Wouldn't the responsible thing to do be to do our jobs, protect Adventure Bay and so on? And if we were to look for Ryder, where would we even start?"  
"Mawshall, Ryder put you in charge, but I still stick by what I said. If it wewe you or me out thewe wight now, wouldn't Wyder do evewything to get us home?" Zuma asked. Marshall just nodded in response. "We know where the Aiw Patwoller cwashed? So we should head out and see if we can find anything". Zuma stood up and turned around.  
"We can't Zuma. None of us could make it out there, and your hovercraft certainly won't survive the ocean!" Marshall said.  
"You awe missing the biggew pictuwe hewe Mawshall. I'm heading back to bed, you coming?" Marshall shook his head in response. "Ok, but don't stay up too late dude, this stowm is gonna leave a mess". Marshall nodded as Zuma turned away.

 _"The bigger picture? What is he on about?"_ Marshall sat looking out at the drive, watching the rivulets of water bead down the glass and bounce off the roof of his puphouse. He laid his head down on his paws; eyelids falling heavily over his tired eyes. " _Please stay safe, wherever you are"._ A light snoring began to follow.

Zuma sat up a looked over at Marshall. He saw the slow rise and fall of his body and heard the light snore. Zuma nodded and walked to the stairs. He couldn't risk using the elevator, too loud. The chocolate lab stood at the top of the lookout, surrounded by blinking instruments. Approaching the main console, Zuma pressed a button with a symbol of a wave on it. _"My hovercraft can't make it, but I know what can_ ". Zuma looked up at the screen, it buzzed to life, showing readings, water depth, windspeed, temperature, currents, tide times, everything a sailor would need to know. After a few seconds, a title formed at the top, followed by a voice. "Sea Patroller, online". Zuma quickly turned it down. " _Why does everwthing Wyder make have to speak? Now, if I can just-"._ A new icon appeared on screen, blocking access to all the others. "Please show ID Badge". Zuma complied, showing his puptag to the camera. "ID Badge Registered: Paw Patrol Member 07 - Zuma" " _I'm in!_ " "Insufficient rank, clearance level 03 or above required for access". Zuma mentally cursed. " _03, so Mawshall? I just need to get him to do this!"._

 _"_ Zuma, is that you?" A feminine voice came from the staircase. Zuma quickly turned the screen off and began walking back to the stairs. "Yeah Skye, just me". The Cockapoo wiped her eyes.  
"Zuma, it's almost 4 in the morning, what are you doing up here?" She asked, tilting her head ever so slightly. Zuma simply shrugged.  
"Seeing what we could do to find Wyder. I mean, thewe must be something we can do other than just sit on our tails and do nothing". Skye nodded, Zuma sighed slightly, knowing someone was on his side.  
"What did you find?" Skye asked, walking past him towards the screen, pressing the power button again, illuminating the large monitor which displayed a schematic of the Sea Patroller. "The Sea Patroller? You want to go find him? Zuma, we don't even know where they are!".  
"But we know whewe the Aiw Patwoller cwashed, we could just go and look. But thewe is a pwoblem. None of us can access it, except for Mawshall, so all I need to do is ask him to let us go find Wyder, it's not like he'd say no, wight?" The young pup began to brim with an optimism not many people had seen since Ryder and Chase went down. "Zuma, he wouldn't let us go". Zuma's smile turned into a quizzical look, he scoffed at the idea. "And why not?"  
"Marshall was told by Ryder that the most important job for us is to keep Adventure Bay and ourselves safe. He wouldn't risk us out at sea, even with the best sea rescue pup on the isles. Besides, we couldn't just leave Adventure Bay without us, the nearest rescue team is Foggy Bottom and Humdinger doesn't exactly like us too much". Zuma frowned, she was right, but it didn't mean it was morally right.

"So, what awe we meant to do? Not even make an attempt to look for them? Wyder and Chase awe our family, if something happened to us, they wouldn't care if the entirety of Adventure Bay was on fire, they'd do anything to get to us".  
"Zuma, you know you can't ask Marshall. He'd instantly say no." Zuma hung his head feeling defeated, "but we don't need Marshall". Zuma looked up, "Um, Skye, we sowta do, Rank 3 or above, so Mawshall, Wyder or Chase". Skye nodded, "Yeah, but we'd only need his tag. That's what the computer sees". Zuma looked down at his tag and up at the screen, still showing 07. His vision quickly snapped back to Skye. "We steal it? And the Sea Patwoller? Skye, we'd be kicked from the team!" Zuma said, part of him liking the idea, whilst most of his instincts telling him no.  
"Look at it this way Zuma, it's either we take the tag and the Sea Patroller and go look for them, but break a lot of rules doing so and, yes, possibly get kicked from the team. OR, we leave Ryder and Chase out in pup-knows-where possibly hurt or worse. I can't stand the idea of Chase being away for that long". Zuma stared at Skye, "Um, what?" Skye just blushed and shook her head. "Zuma there is no other way. Besides, we'd just sail out to where the Air Patroller crashed. If nothing is there, we come home, and if they are there, they come with us. What's the worst that could happen?"  
"We lose ouw jobs"?  
"Rhetorical question". Skye retorted, rolling her eyes. "Zuma, we have to. I can't believe I need to convince you to rescue your friends".

Zuma scoffed at this, feeling somewhat hurt by the comment. "Why do you think I was up here in the fiwst place? I can't think of anything else i'd wather do right now than set sail. If my hovercwaft could manage, I'd be out there already". Zuma began to get angry, "Why don't you just fly out and see?"  
Skye could see she upset him, and backed down. "Zuma I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. Of course, if I could, I'd be flying out there as soon as I could, but my copter couldn't manage those winds". They both slumped down. "A pilot and a lifeguard, and neither of us can do our jobs. How useless do we look?"

"We have to get that tag. You're wight, Mawshall won't let us go, and I get why, but we don't have a choice anymore". Zuma extended his paw towards Skye. "Are you up for this?" Skye grabbed his paw enthusiastically.  
"I've been thinking of this since the moment they crashed. Of course I'm up for it. Ryder would do the same for us".  
"Then it's settled, we take the tag next time we get chance". Both of them shook on it, and then turned off the monitor. "But for the timebeing, it's time for sleep. C'mon". Skye began to walk back towards the stairs. "Zuma, you coming or-"  
"Sssh. Can you hear that?" Skye walked back into the room, staying silent and lifting her ears.  
"I don't hear any-" She cut herself short once she heard some faint beeping. "What is that?" She walked towards a set of screens on the other side of the room. All of them were off, except for one, which was flashing up a series of dots and dashes. "Zuma? You know what this could be?"  
"Wyder twying to tell us something?"  
"It says the signal is coming from Chase's collar. It's them! Oh Zuma they're alive!" Skye yipped happily, flipping on the spot whilst Zuma studied the screen. "This means we can get them!"  
"Can you understand this?" Zuma asked, gesturing at the screen. Skye turned and studied the lines and dots flashing across. She simply shook her head.  
"But I know who can". Zuma tilted his head. "Zuma, who else is as smart as Ryder here?" Zuma slapped himself in the face.  
"Of course, Wocky. But he's basically Mawshall's second in command, he'd tell Mawshall everything".  
"Not if we play things right. We can mute this so no one sees, or hears. We just need him to teach us whatever this is".  
Zuma nodded. "Okay, we'll talk to him tomorrow. But I think he's on patwol until the afternoon".

He reached up and turned the machine off. "Hang in there Wyder. We'll find you guys". With that, Zuma and Skye walked back downstairs, relieved to see that all the pups were still asleep. "I don't think they heard us". Zuma nodded and returned to his sleeping bag. He couldn't help but smile slightly, but feel guilty. Was he really going to betray the Paw Patrol? No, he didn't have a choice, Ryder and Chase are family and he couldn't abandon his family.

* * *

 **As I said, shorter chapters, but will be uploaded more often. Plus, shorter chapters means I don't overthink too much and I can come up with a better storyline. So far, I have the next three chapters planned out, but still need writing. I am struggling because I would like to make a chapter focusing on how Chase and Ryder are on the island. (Set 3 days since the crash), and what they get up to. I wanted to have Chase go and "hunt" for food, or try as he still has an injured leg. I would also like to put in some kind of injury to Ryder, as it sorta seems like he got away from the crash unscathed, and I think it would be more realistic if he was somehow injured. Maybe he's unwell due to being wet and cold, or has a sprained ankle or something? (I'd prefer to keep his arms intact as the previous chapters have him carrying things so).**

 **Anyways, I'll cross that when I get to it. Feel free to message me your ideas or put them in a review! Once again, thanks for the follows, I am so glad someone enjoys this crap that I write.**

 **Have a nice Summer!**

 **PupPupGo x**


	7. Chapter 7: Deception

**Hey guys, like I said, I want to upload more often, but to do that, I'm shortening chapters. Thanks for the kinds messages, I appreciate that you understand why it's taking longer than usual to update and your patience is really appreciated!**

 **The time progression, if you actually work it out, probably doesn't make sense, so from this point, I'm just gonna put the time as how many days and what time it is at the point in that story to prevent further headaches lol.**

 **Reviews:**

 **Chase: No problem. I like it too when people respond to comments, hence why I do it. I want to make sure I am as involved as possible with my audience. Glad you're enjoying the story.**

 **Here's chapter 7 of Burning Responsibility**

* * *

Chapter 7: Deception

 _11:00am - 1 day after crash_

The last of the storm was hanging in there; grey clouds dotted above the town of Adventure Bay paled in comparison to those that were in their place the previous night, but still beat down upon the small town with torrents of water and wind. Rocky looked out the windows with a disappointed expression, watching as the rain travelled down the glass. "Figures, it has to rain through my patrol", he said, walking back to the group.  
"Hey you aren't the only one going out there", Marshall said, flipping his hat onto his head and fastening his torch in place. "Two of us are gonna get soaked together", the dally said with his trademark grin. "Besides, this could count as your bath for the week perhaps?" Rocky's tail began to wag.  
"I can live with that. C'mon, the sooner we get out, the faster this will be over. There's probably tonnes of garbage to collect from this storm." Marshall nodded,  
"right, and Rubble?" Marshall turned to the younger bulldog who looked up from the TV, "you better get dressed up too, who knows what kind of debris could be washed about on the streets" Marshall said, tossing him his yellow construction cap.  
"Sure thing Marshall".

Rocky and Marshall left the lookout and boarded their respective vehicles. "Ugh, even the seat is wet". Marshall chuckled at his friend's rather comical aversion to water. He often wondered how he was such good friends with himself and Zuma, since they constantly have to be in contact with water throughout their roles.

They both left the driveway, rain hitting against Marshall's visor and dripping from Rocky's cap. The bridge over the bay loomed above them as they drove side by side. "Rocky, do you think I'm being a good leader?" Marshall asked, breaking the silence between the two.  
"Of course I do Marshall, why wouldn't I?" he cheerfully responded.  
"Because our leader and our friend, both family really, are stranded somewhere remote and we aren't really doing anything about it. I'm just making everyone go about their daily business like nothing is happening. Not even the town knows of Ryder and Chase's disappearance, they just think they are still at Barkingburg. Rocky, I feel like we should be doing something, looking for them, y'know?" Marshall pulled his firetruck up at the end of the bridge, Rocky stopping alongside. "I know Ryder expects me to keep everything under control here, but I want him back just as badly as everyone else does, and I'm just expected to pretend like it doesn't bother me?" Marshall took his hat off slumped back in his seat, rain covering his otherwise dry head. "Sometimes I feel like he should have chosen someone else to lead, I mean, you've got the brains for it. Why didn't he choose you?" Rocky looked over at his friend.

"Marshall, he chose you because he believed you were the best choice out of the five of us. Actually six, he even considered Everest. Can you imagine Everest in charge? Everyday would just be liver and snow, we'd nev-" Rocky stopped as Marshall gave him a 'get back to the subject' kind of look. "He didn't choose because of brains, he chose because of your instinct. Sure, he could have chosen me, but I tend to overthink situations and because of that, waste time. You know exactly what needs to be done and you do it without the need to think about it over and over again. Think of that test we gave you on the beach*, you took charge, you knew what needed to be done and the fire was out in no time". Rocky said, smiling.  
"Sure, but that's what I'm trained to do. Firefighting is my job. It would have been the same if it was a paramedic emergency. But a police chase? Or water rescue? I wouldn't know what to do!" Marshall argued.  
"Then you put faith in your team Marshall. No one expects you to know what to do in every situation, just to know who to trust to put in charge of the situation. If it were a water rescue, of course Zuma would know more than you, or an aerial rescue, Skye would be the obvious one in charge. I think Ryder made the right choice, and I've never doubted it since, but you can't be a good leader if you spend all of your time thinking you aren't one". Rocky said, before starting his engine. Marshall looked up at the mixed breed through the rain. He placed his hat back on his head and started his firetruck.  
"Thanks Rocky. I'll see you back at the lookout at 2".  
"No problem Marshall, and by the way.. Say hi to Everest for me?" Rocky said, chuckling to himself as he turned off the street towards the town. Everyone knew Marshall gave himself the patrol route around Jake's mountain, and everyone knew why. Sure, it would make more sense to have Skye do the route, but Marshall had a very obvious secret regarding the Husky and he took whatever opportunity he could to visit.

* * *

 _11:36am - 1 Day after crash_

"Hey Marshall!" Everest ran towards the firetruck. "Storm hasn't passed up here yet either, we've got hikers stuck in cabins all over the summit. Jake and I were about to head out and try and set some free, wanna join?" Everest sat in front of Marshall, head tilted and covered in the falling snow.  
"Sure Everest, maybe we could call up Rubble to come lend a paw?" He suggested,  
"Nah, the three of us would be enough". Marshall shrugged and took a snow shovel in his mouth.  
"Marshall, dude. How's it goin?" Jake closed the door to his cabin and stood on the back of Everest's snowcat. "Snows been pretty rough up here all night. How's the town?"  
"Wet. Very windy and wet. I tried calling last night to ask how you two were doing, but I think all this snow is blocking the tag's communication system". Marshall explained. Jake nodded, sipping hot coffee from his mug. "Most of the pups are just lazing around indoors, not much else to do in the rain. Rocky is out on patrol around the town this morning".  
"In the rain? Rocky, driving in the rain? Bet he was happy about that" Everest laughed before jumping up into her snowcat. "You coming in this or your truck?" Everest asked.  
"Suppose it would make more sense if I came with you two, my truck isn't really designed for slopes". He jumped up into the drivers seat and squeezed in next to Everest. "Sorry, I don't think Ryder ever planned that people would be riding shotgun in this", Marshall said.  
"No biggie. Makes it warmer I suppose" Everest responded, shrugging as she pressed the ignition. Her snowcat ploughed off into the snow, leaving the cabin and Marshall's truck in the white dust behind her.

* * *

 _12:10pm - 1 Day after crash_

Rubble, Skye and Zuma laid about on the bean bags. "Jeez, it gets really boring around here when it's raining". Rubble broke the silence in the room. "Any ideas on what to do?", the young bulldog stood up, stretching his legs, looking at his two teammates who were just as bored.  
"Nah wubble. TV maybe?" Zuma suggested, turning the screen on to only see static and the occasional flicker of some random reporter's face. "Nevermind, the stowm must be weally messing up the signal".  
"We could play truth or dare?" Skye said. Both Zuma and Rubble froze at the idea and stared at her.  
"No"  
"Never again"  
"Why not?"  
"Wemember last time? I'm not in the mood for a pink dwess right now". **

The three went back to sitting silent again, listening to the wind howling outside and the rain battering the windows. "Ughhhh, I can't take it anymore, there has to be something to do!" Rubble said, heading off to the elevator.  
"What are you doing Rubble?" Skye asked, watching him.  
"I don't know, cleaning my gear? Better than just sitting around here!" With that, Rubble left and disappeared to the second floor.

Zuma and Skye sat in silence for a minute. "So, how are we gonna ask Rocky?" Zuma turned his head to Skye, tilting it at her question. "About the transmission?"  
"Ohhhh, yeah. I don't know? We can't let him know we found it, or he'd tell Mawshall". Skye nodded in agreement. "I know, I'll just make up some excuse about how Ryder told me to look into more communication methods. He always said that ships send messages through all sorts of styles. Guess I should have wesearched before he left?" Skye simply nodded.  
"In the meantime, I'll find a way to get Marshall's tag. I might take him to Katie's for a while maybe? Then when he has his bath, I'll swap his tag out for his old one. He hopefully won't notice the difference". Skye said, before another thought rose to her head. "Zuma?"  
"Hmm?" Zuma responded, looking up from the floor.  
"Do you even know how to pilot the Sea Patroller?"

* * *

 _13:30pm - 1 Day after crash_

Rocky sighed as he shook more water out of his fur. " _This better count as my bath for the next three weeks"_ he said to himself. His pincer grabbed another loose branch from the road and pulled it to the grass. He looked back at the street he had been driving up, piles of debris and garbage ready to be collected. " _Rubble can sort that later"._

He looked up to the lookout. He always admired the design of the building. Such a simple idea, a tower, but iconic to so many people. How uncomplicated it was stood as a testament to the Paw Patrol's promise to help everyone who needs it. Such a simple concept. Sure, Rocky could think of a few times where the Patrol's skills could have been used more effectively. If they had to rescue that chicken from the roof one more time, he might have another chew toy in his truck. Rocky looked down at his reflection in the puddle beneath him. He was wet. He hated being wet. Water dripped from his clumped form, falling into an even bigger puddle of water. His trusty cap turned a darker shade of green. Even his collar was a darker orange. " _Rain makes everything look so miserable. Suppose it makes sense, not a lot to be happy about right now"._ He sat back in his truck and looked over at the bay, the last place he saw Ryder and Chase. " _I know you two are OK. I can't imagine any situation where you wouldn't be. You always know what to do. Please be OK"._ He started his Truck and headed back towards the lookout.

* * *

 _Meanwhile_

"That should be the last of them dudes". Jake said, much to the joy of Marshall and Everest. The trio had been working for hours, digging through snow. Marshall couldn't feel his paws, his face, his anything really. "Hey Marshall, you OK over there?" Everest asked.  
"Uh huh, just... very cold". Marshall said, stumbling through the snow back to the snowcat.  
"C'mon, I've got something to show you anyways. It sounded important". Everest said, starting her engine and making her way back to Jake's cabin.

She laughed as Marshall gasped, looking at his firetruck buried under a few foot of snow. "Don't worry, it's probably fine. Come on, in here", Everest grabbed Marshall's collar and pulled him away from his truck. "This is what I wanted to show you". She said, opening the door to Jake's bedroom.  
"Um, Everest, I've seen Jake's room before. Did he get a new trophy or something?" Everest shushed him and turned a machine on in the corner.  
"It's been beeping like this all night. We had to turn it off. It's the same sequence over and over again. Jake says its-"  
"Morse code" Marshall said, his eyes lighting up slightly. "Everest, it's morse code! Do you know what it could be? it could be Ryder! Or Chase! Or both of them! Maybe they're OK?" Marshall said, grinning ear to ear looking at the confused husky. it suddenly dawned on him as Jake and Everest looked at each other.  
"Marshall, dude. What do you mean, 'they're ok?'" Jake said, mirroring the same look of concern Everest was showing.  
"Oh right. It all happened so fast we never told you. We haven't told Carlos and Tracker either. Or even the Mayor".  
"Marshall, what happened to them?" Everest asked, cutting to the point.

"Ryder and Chase were summoned to Barkingburg. It's a place across the sea in England. Chase and Ryder have a special role involving the protection of Barkingburg's royal family. Anyways, they took the air patroller, with Robodog, to Barkingburg, but they hit this storm that we're in the middle of now." Everest's ears fell flat, she looked up at Jake how just told Marshall to continue. "The storm caused Robodog to freak out, and soon after, something went wrong. We don't know what happened after that, because we lost signal. Ryder and Chase presumably crashed into the ocean". Everest whimpered at the last words. Jake just sat in silence.

"Look guys, I know how bad that sounds. Ryder left me in charge of the Paw Patrol. I've been thinking the worst every second since then. Rocky and I have exhausted ourselves trying to trace Chase's collar or Ryder's PupPad, but this storm has really messed up the Lookout's systems. We we're going to wait until it clears up tomorrow, but now i need to know what this morse code is saying. For all we know, maybe Ryder found a way to message us!" Marshall said, trying to brighten the sudden drop of mood in the room.

"Marshall, I get what you're saying, and I want to think that too. But, don't get your hopes up too high. All sorts of places resort to using morse code when a storm comes in. It could be anyone". Jake said, patting him on the head. Marshall nodded, letting his head fall slightly in disappointment, realising that Jake was right. Everest noticed this, and tried to cheer him up again.  
"So, you're in charge of me too then?" Marshall looked up at Everest.  
"Suppose so?" Marshall said. Everest laughed at the idea.  
"I know who will know how to understand this. We tried calling Rocky when we first heard it". Everest said. "Maybe Jake and I could pay a visit?" Marshall nodded. "There is always that chance it is them Marshall. Ryder is smart and Chase would never give up. It's the perfect combination". She said, putting her hat back on and throwing Marshall a snow shovel.  
"What do I need this for?" He said, picking it up.  
"Unless you plan to drive an igloo, I'd get digging". She laughed as he pointed out the window to Marshall's truck.  
"Oh, yeah".

* * *

 _14:03pm - 1 Day after crash_

The lookout doors opened. Skye and Zuma looked up to see a soaking, dripping mixed breed pup stood looking at them. "Have fun Wocky?" Zuma laughed at the mixed breed who shook, flinging water everywhere. He rolled his eyes at the lab and looked over at Skye.  
"Anything happen? Calls and such?" He asked, wringing his hat out into the sink.  
"Nope. Been quiet all day. Rubble is upstairs cleaning his gear, but by now, he's probably fallen asleep". She responded.  
"Hey Wocky, I was wondering if you could teach me something. Ryder said I should look into more communication methods, y'know, in case there are ships stwanded at sea". Rocky looked over at Zuma.  
"Um, sure I guess, but first I'm gonna go and get dry. Maybe later?" He responded. Zuma walked over to him.  
"But I wanna learwn now. Please Wocky?" Rocky shook his head. He was dripping wet, and stank of wet dog.  
"Zuma, please. You know how much I hate being wet, and look at me. You've been drier in your underwater missions. I can't concentrate like this, I wouldn't be a good teacher". Zuma stood back as Rocky pushed past him. "If you want, I have some books in my Pup House you can look at, just, don't get them wet". Rocky entered the elevator and left to the second floor.

"Suppose we could look at the books?" Skye suggested as she and Zuma walked towards the door.  
"Ok, on the count of thwee, weady?" Skye nodded. "One", the door opened. "Two, thwee!" Zuma and Skye dashed out into the rain and ran to Rocky's Puphouse, diving through the door and closing it behind them. "Wow, it really is wet out there".  
Skye and Zuma looked at Rocky's puphouse. His patchwork green bed laid in the corner whilst a small stool and desk sat in the other corner with a light hanging above it, lighting up a small shelf of books.

"Wow, it's so much neater than mine!" Zuma said, looking at the alphabetically coordinated books on the wall. "Lets see; engines and motors, nope. Computers and Coding, nope". Zuma threw each book to the floor.  
"Zuma, stop making such a mess, this is Rocky's room!" Skye said, picking each book back up and replacing them on the shelf. "Here, it's this one". Skye picked a book off of the lower shelf. "Radios, Signals and Communication", she said, reading the title, "it has to be this one".

The two sat back on the bed and opened the book. "Hey look", Zuma said, pulling out a piece of paper on the first page. "Looks like our pup tags" he looked at Skye, "He helped make them?" Skye nodded before turning several pages.  
"Here, morse code. A basic, low power consuming code that sends a basic encoded version of the Latin Alphabet electronically using a series of beeps or flashes". Skye read aloud.  
"OK, so does it say how to understand it?" Zuma asked, rolling his eyes. Skye turned the page and found a chart showing a series of dots and dashes, each with a letter of the alphabet above. "That has to be it!" Zuma said, grabbing the book from Skye and tearing the page out.  
"ZUMA!" Skye yelled, hitting him in the back of the head. He looked up with the page in his teeth.  
"Whaw?" he mumbled.  
"That's not our property. You can't just vandalise peopl- oh nevermind, c'mon, lets go figure this out". Skye closed the book and placed it back on the shelf. "Marshall will be back soon, then I just need to get his collar". Skye opened the door and walked back out into the rain, Zuma following behind holding the page in his mouth. They both headed towards the elevator and entered the top floor.

"Right, lets get this done quickly. Marshall will be back any second now" Skye warned. "Hand me the paper, you go turn the machine on". Zuma spat the page out into her outstretched paw. "Gross, you had to drool all over it?"  
"Where else was I meant to put it?" Zuma said, walking to the morse code machine. He pressed a button and plugged a cable in, and it began to beep again.

"So, every long beep is a line, and the shorter beeps are the dots. We just need to make note of the beeps and then convert them over. It should be simple enough". Skye said, grabbing a pen and paper.

Zuma paced about the room, watching Skye scribble a series of dots and dashes on the paper. "Skye, it's wepeated like, four times now! When can we figure out what is says?"  
"I have to make sure I wrote it down right. If this is a location, one wrong digit could take us the complete wrong direction!" Zuma fell to the floor onto his belly and rested his head on his paws. "But you're right, we're running out of time". Skye grabbed the page from behind her and placed it besides her notes. "OK, let's see what we've got".

Another five minutes passed as she slowly wrote letters and numbers under each dot and dash. She looked up at Zuma. "It's a location. A location we needed! Zuma! They're alive! Stranded.. hurt apparently, but alive!" Zuma and Skye howled for joy before they quickly shushed each other.  
"Then we need Mawshall's collar. We have to get them!" Zuma said, more determined than ever. "Skye, go grab his old tag". Skye walked to the lift holding her message in her mouth. "Hide that, make sure no one else reads it", she nodded and closed the doors. Zuma walked back over to the morse code machine. "As for you, you're gonna have to be quiet too". He pulled the plug from the wall and it fell silent. He smiled triumphantly. "We're gonna find them!"

* * *

 _14:40pm - 1 Day after crash_

"Hey guys!" Everest entered the lookout, shaking her wet fur all over Marshall and Jake who stood besides her.  
"Everest!" They all responded and ran over, all except Rocky, who kept his distance.  
"What's up Rocky?" Everest asked.  
"Oh nothing, I just got dry, I don't need anymore water for a while". Everest laughed at Rocky's response.  
"I heard about Ryder and Chase dudes. Sorry about that, but Everest and I found something that might help!" The pups looked up at Jake and gave their full attention.  
"What is it?" Rubble asked.  
"Everest and Jake found a signal, morse code to be precise", Zuma and Skye looked over at each other. "I think, or at least hope, it could be Ryder and Chase. We want Rocky to find out what it says!" Marshall explained, looking at the various expressions amongst his team.  
"There's no time to waste c'mon". Rocky headed to the Elevator with the rest of the pups close by. Zuma looked at Skye, mouthing "do something". Skye just shrugged wide eyed, then she had an idea.

"Hey, Marshall, I was gonna head to Katies and get my fur groomed, you wanna come? You've been under a lot of stress recently, maybe it could help?" Skye said, standing in front of Marshall.  
"Sounds good, maybe after we know what the signal is?" Marshall responded and walked past.  
"She's wight dude. Maybe some spa time might be good for you? And if it is anything big, we'll call you!" Zuma quickly followed up. Marshall looked over at Skye.  
"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to have some time to relax. I'm still freezing and sore from all that work I did with Everest". Rubble and Zuma both gave him a smirk. "No, not that kind of- will you two behave". Marshall blushed heavily, so did Everest. "Alright alright, Skye I'm coming" Zuma and Rubble both laughed.  
"Ha, is that the first time you've said that today?" Zuma yelled as Marshall walked out, he turned around and shot him a glare, and then Everest slapped him in the back of the head.  
"Behave you two" She said, blushing. Jake quietly chuckled and Everest kicked him in the leg. "You too!" Jake stopped laughing and stood still. "Boys" She said, rolling her eyes as the elevator doors closed.

* * *

 _15:00pm - 1 Day after crash_

Skye stood on the grooming table, watching Marshall slowly sink into his warm bath, sighing with relief as the warm water warmed his freezing body. "OK, so maybe this was a good idea?" He said, looking over to Skye. She simply nodded as she jumped down.  
"So what do you think it is Skye?" Marshall asked, leaning his head back and closing his eyes.  
"I don't know, maybe it's Ryder and Chase, but like Jake said, it could be anyone". She responded, quietly walking over to the bath. She spotted Marshall's collar laying on the floor next to him. She took his old tag out from her pack she brought with her. Slowly, she approached the bath.

"Skye, do you think I'm doing a good job?" Skye froze and dropped the tag back in her pack quickly as Marshall sat back up and looked at her. "I know I keep asking everyone, but I worry that I'm not fit for this role. I want nothing more than for Ryder to just come and take over again, or Chase to take the lead, but with both of them god know's where, I'm left doing it. Rocky told me this morning that he chose me because of my instinct. But I've seen you use your initiative in lots of missions, and you are much more sensible than I am, why didn't he choose you?" Skye sat quietly for a while, looking over at the Dally.  
"Marshall, I've never doubted Ryder's decisions, and I certainly don't doubt this one. You always do what is right. You have a big heart and the courage to match it. I think you're doing a great job so far. You're dealing with things that Ryder never imagined you would have to deal with. Heck, it's stuff not even Ryder has dealt with. Sure, I've been lost in the snow, or you ran away for a few hours, but he knew where we were. We don't have a clue where those two could be. You're doing your job brilliantly".

Marshall looked over at her, and nodded. "I guess". He closed his eyes again. Skye began to reach for her pack again, but stopped. She turned and looked up at Marshall. "Hey, Marshall?" He sat back up and looked over the edge of the bathtub.  
"If you knew where Chase and Ryder were, if this message told you where they were at least.. what would you do?" Marshall thought for while. It was a good question, and not something he had been thinking of. Assuming the worst meant that he didn't need to think of a potential rescue. He actually didn't know what he would do. So he changed the question.  
"Skye, what would you do?" She too thought for a second. If she said anything about the Sea Patroller, Marshall might figure out her plan. "I'd go find them. I'd do everything in my power to sail or fly across the sea and find them. It's what Ryder or Chase would do for us". Skye answered.

"I suppose. But, what if something happened here?" Marshall argued.  
"I'd still put family over the town". Skye said. "Reluctantly of course, but Chase means everything to me". Marshall looked down at her, "I mean, Chase and Ryder mean everything to me" She nervously chuckled.  
"I don't think we could leave Adventure Bay. It would leave the town in danger, plus, it would put us in danger too. I couldn't deal with that and Ryder wouldn't want me to do it either. I guess I'd just report it to the authorities and let them find them".

Skye had hoped for a different answer. Maybe if he said he'd do the same, perhaps she would have thrown the whole plan out the window, and just waited until Marshall heard the message, but knowing that he couldn't do anything meant she didn't have a choice. She quickly switched the tags over, making sure to move fast and silently. She placed Marshall's command tag in her pack and closed it.

"Well, I'm done here. What about you?" Skye asked. Marshall nodded before standing up and jumping out. He looked over at Skye and blushed. "What?" She asked.  
"Um, I feel naked", he nervously said.  
"Marshall, we're always naked. We're dogs", Skye said rolling her eyes. Marshall laughed as he slipped his collar back on.  
"Bye Katie, thanks for the bath!" The two left the building and jumped back into Marshall's truck and headed back to the lookout.

* * *

 _14:50pm - 1 Day after crash_

 _"_ Okay guys, this might take me some time. I haven't done this in a while" Rocky said, heading over to the communications panel and plugging it in. "That's strange, Ryder never unplugs this bit". He sat down and put on a pair of ear muffs and began to scrawl out lines and dots, just as Skye did earlier.

"So, Everest. What do you think it is?" Zuma asked, looking over at the Husky. She shrugged.  
"I hope it's what we think it is, but like Jake told Marshall, during storms, morse code is one of the most reliable communication methods, lots of ships and remote places use them. For all we know, it could be some guy stuck in a storm ordering Pizza". Zuma giggled. "What about you Zuma?"  
"I think it's Wyder. It has to be. He's too smart for something like this to happen and for him to be left with no wescue". Everest nodded.

10 minutes passed and Rocky turned around to face the pups. "Okay, I just have to convert it to something readable now". Everest sighed. She looked out the window. "Hey guys, Skye and Marshall are back. Let's give Rocky some space and go see them". Jake stayed up at the top whilst Skye, Rubble, Everest and Zuma headed downstairs.  
"Hey Marshall, feeling less sore now?" Rubble chuckled before being pinched by Everest. "Okay okay, jeez"  
"Yeah, hot bath was just what I needed. And thanks for the chat Skye. Skye?" He turned to see no one stood next to him. "She probably went to her pup house, she always puts her new perfumes away and such after visiting Katie's" Rubble suggested. Marshall nodded. "I'll go see if she's OK" Rubble said walking out of the lookout.

Zuma and Skye wandered off together to her puphouse. "You got it?" Zuma asked. Skye tipped an orange and red tag out of her pack. "Yes! Wyder and Chase, here.. we... come?" Zuma looked over at Rubble who stood in the doorway.  
"Um, what's happening guys?"  
"Oh crap" Skye hit her head on the wall. "Hey Rubble. What if we told you we had a plan to save Ryder? But Marshall wouldn't approve?" Skye asked.  
"What do you mean?" he responded.  
"She means that we know where Chase and Wyder are, but to get to them, we had to steal Mawshall's tag so we could steal the Sea Patwoller". Rubble stood in a semi shocked position.  
"Um, you're joking right?" He said, before noticing the puptag on the floor in front of him. "Oh dog you're not joking". Rubble sat down. "You're gonna steal the Sea Patroller? Why wouldn't Marshall allow it? How do you know where they are?" Skye began to explain the plan to Rubble, who sat showing a variety of emotions throughout. Usually confusion.

"So, you ripped a page out of Rocky's books, and you stole our leader's puptag and now you're gonna go steal a huge boat?" Skye and Zuma just sat nodding.  
"So, Rubble. What do you want to do? Let Marshall let some strangers go rescue them, or should we go get them ourselves?" Rubble sat dumbfounded. "What if I go tell Marshall what you two are doing?" Zuma growled.  
"We don't have a choice anymore Rubble. Either come with us, or stay out of our way".  
"Guys, I miss Ryder and Chase as much as you two do, maybe not as much as Skye", Skye swatted him for the comment, "but I want them back as soon as possible. If we do it, we'll be heroes, just like Apollo!" Rubble looked at the two of them, and took a deep breath. "I want to help".  
"Then we have no time to waste. C'mon, we're leaving right now". Skye said standing up and heading out. Zuma, bring your hovercraft, I'll bring my helicopter. I suppose your rig wouldn't hurt either Rubble. Who knows what's gonna happen". The two pups nodded and ran off to their puphouses. "Don't worry guys, help is on the way".

* * *

 _15:15pm - 1 Day after Crash_

The elevator doors flew open, and Jake walked out. "Pups, Rocky wants you upstairs". Marshall nodded and activated his collar.  
"Hey, Zuma, Rocky needs us upstairs".  
"Um, on our way, you head up. We went for a walk".  
"In the rain?"  
"Uhh, yeah you know how much I love water"  
"Okay, but hurry".

Marshall, Jake and Everest headed up the elevator. "Well, it wasn't easy, considering someone ripped the morse code translation page out of my book", Rocky said spitefully, "but I know what the message says". He looked up at the three. "Where are the others?"  
"Walking apparently?" Marshall answered, "we can fill them in in a second". Rocky nodded.  
"If you say so, but this is very important. The message is exactly what we wanted to hear. Marshall, Ryder and Chase are alive. Injured badly but alive. They are stranded on an island in the mid-atlantic. Miles away from any inhabited place". Everest and Marshall howled with joy and Jake cheered. Rocky handed Marshall a note.

' _Message to PAW Patrol of Adventure Bay. This is Ryder. Chase is injured. We are stranded. Location is Scrawlrock Isle. Send Help"_ Marshall sat down. Reading the message over and over in his mind for minutes, staying silent. Some tears formed in his eyes. He spent days thinking the worst had happened to them, thinking he would have to organise a memorial for them, he couldn't bare to think that he almost gave up, when he was this close. Everest rushed over and hugged him, breaking his concentration. "Come on Marshall, let's go! We know where they are, we could have them home before breakfast tomorrow if we head out now!"  
"We can't" Marshall said, emotionless.  
"What?" Rocky, Everest and Jake responded, taken aback by the response.  
"Ryder said send help. He didn't ask for us in particular. Because of that, we need to send the right people for the job. We might be a rescue team, but we're just pups. This is the ocean! We can't just set sail. We have no way to reach them anyways. Ryder wouldn't want us to be in that much danger so he would expect me to send help from the right source. We can contact the navy or something, but our job is here in Adventure Bay".  
Rocky and Everest sat down and looked at each other. "Marshall, we get what you're saying... but it's total crap". Marshall looked up at Everest, only to be greeted by a slap. "Marshall, Ryder and Chase are our family. I don't care how dangerous it, is, I'll swim the whole damn ocean to get them. Forget your role and responsibilities, we have family who are hurt and lost. This town can live without us for a day". Marshall stared at Everest. "What do you want to do, Marshall. Forget your responsibilities for one damn second, and tell me, what do you want to do?"  
"Save them. More than anything I want to save them. But we have no way to reach them that far out".

"I think that's where I can help. Marshall, you're forgetting something big. And boat shaped. And usually... ugh, wet". Marshall looked over at Rocky.  
"The Sea Patroller!" Marshall exclaimed, slapping himself. "Ow".  
"The what?" Jake asked.  
"It's a big mobile water-based control base. The beach tower on the beach is actually owned by us, and it's not just a tower. The whole thing is a boat that is docked unless needed. It can easily handle the rough waters of the ocean".  
"Then what are we waiting for?"  
"We're gonna need help!" Rocky said, pushing a button on the control panel. The elevator rose up from the basement, revealing Robodog, stood shining in the light.

"Robodog! I thought the crash destroyed him!" Marshall said.  
"Robodog's brain is digital. He has lots of spare bodies, but his mind is constantly being saved to here. He can pilot the Sea Patroller better than anyone".  
The three pups howled together, before turning to the screen. Rocky pressed a button, "Right. Let's get it ready for laun- wait".  
"What's up?" Marshall asked?  
"The computer, says it's already launched, but that's impossible. Ryder and I made it so only team members with the right rank could launch it. Marshall, you're the only one here with access to it".  
"Don't look at me! Why would I go to it?" Rocky looked down at Marshall's collar, before reaching out a paw and flipping his tag. It was blank. "Marshall, this is your old tag. Where's the new one Ryder gave you?"  
"WHAT? I never took it off! Except for when I went to Katie's. She wouldn't take it". Quickly, his expression changed. "I knew it, something was suspicious about her today. It's SKye! She took my tag!"  
"Skye? Why would she do that?" Everest asked,  
"She must have taken the Sea Patroller too, but other than Robodog and Ryder, only one other member can pilot it". Marshall said, "Z-"  
"Zuma. It's Zuma. He asked me before if I could teach him morse code. And then I found the missing page in my book, plus the unplugged morse code machine. My book is covered in drool and it smells just like him". Marshall raised an eyebrow. "No, I only know how it smells because he constantly leaves his toys around. Anyways, if he's on the Sea Patroller, then there's nothing stopping them setting sail. And assuming that they did all without wanting to let us know, they intend to leave without us". Marshall walked to the console and pressed the call button. The screen showed the Bridge of the Sea Patroller, with Zuma sat in the captain's chair.  
"Oh, um. Hey Mawshall" Zuma noticed the Dalmatian's face on the monitor in front of him. "What's up?"  
"Zuma. We need to talk".

* * *

Next to two words in this chapter, there are * symbols, which link to the below references.

*Refer to Chapter 1: The Test

*Truth or Dare by HavocHound. Please go and read it, it's very entertaining. There's even a comic of it somewhere online but it's not finished.

 **Well that's the second longest chapter of this story so far. I had planned on continuing Zuma and Marshall's confrontation in this chapter, but it's just got over 6'500 words and I don't want it to be much longer, or people get bored reading the chapters. I'll put that in the next chapter.**

 **The next chapter will obviously have Zuma and Marshall arguing, but also what Skye, Zuma and Rubble were doing whilst the others were in the lookout listening to Rocky. I also would like to put in another chapter focused on Ryder and Chase, so I'll probably do that after the next.**

 **This story is turning out to be much longer than I expected it to, and I really appreciate those who are sticking with me as it is difficult to write stories with so much other stuff going on at the same time. You know who you are, so thank you so much. As always, leave comments and I'll respond to them in the next chapter. If you PM me, I will respond as soon as I can.**

 **Until next time,  
PupPupGo. Xx**


	8. Chapter 8: Conflict

**Ooh, two chapters in 24 hours? Must be a good day. Actually, it's because I got a new laptop and I love typing on it. Plus I legit have nothing else to do, lucky for you guys I suppose.**

 **So this chapter might be a bit all over the place. I hope it doesn't get too confusing. If it does, let me know and I'd be happy to explain the plot to you so far.**

 **Just for housekeeping reasons, I've moved the comment responses to the bottom of the story, as not everyone who wants to read this wants to also read me waffling on for ages as my responses tend to get pretty lengthy. If your response doesn't show in this chapter, it will likely be in the next. Also, any reviews after the final chapter will be responded to via PM as when this story is marked complete, I intend to keep it that way.**

 **Anyways, here's Chapter 8.**

* * *

Chapter 8: Conflict

 _15:15pm - 1 Day after crash_

"In the rain?" Marshall's voice came through Zuma's Puptag.  
"Uhh, yeah you know how much I love water". Zuma responded. He couldn't let Marshall know where they were.  
"Okay, but hurry". Zuma's tag shut off.  
"Guys, we're out of time, Wocky knows what the Message says, Mawshall wants us back and it won't take them long to realise what we've done". Zuma said, looking at the two equally soaked pups in front of him. "You guys loaded your rigs?" Zuma asked. Rubble nodded.  
"They're both onboard", the bulldog responded. "So, how do we get in?" He asked.  
"Easy. Now that we have Mawshalls tag, the tower should recognise me as him, and just let me and whoever else I want in. Then, it's just a case of launching and sailing away to wescue Wyder and Chase". Zuma walked towards the door of the Beach Tower, standing in front of it, the camera above the door turned to face downwards and zoomed in. A small panel to the right of the door opened, revealing a screen, it read 'PAW Patrol Member 03 - Marshall. Credentials Confirmed. Access Granted'. Zuma looked back at Skye and Rubble. "This is the last chance to tuwn back guys. If we do this, who knows how we could be punished". Rubble and Skye looked at each other.  
"For Ryder and Chase" Skye said, walking into the tower.  
"For Ryder and Chase" Rubble repeated, walking in after her. Zuma smiled at the commitment of his friends, at least he wouldn't have to face an upset Marshall or Ryder alone.

The three pups entered through the central door. It felt strange for them, as usually Ryder would enter the bridge through there. They didn't bother gearing up or putting their suits on. They were in for a long journey, and they weren't going to do it wearing tight fitting wetsuits. "So Zuma, you never actually answered me, can you sail this or not?" Skye asked.  
"Evewy boat is more or less the same Skye. We just need to figure out how to launch", Zuma explained, jumping up into what would usually be Robodog's seat. The monitors in front of him lit up, each showing different controls, along with another panel down to his right showing the Paw Patrol's logo. He pressed it, and it showed all of the pup's icons. "This must be the loading control". He pressed his icon which took the entirety of the screen. A siren could be heard outside. His speeder rolled down the ramp and loaded into the hull of the ship. He pressed Sky and Rubble's boats too. He turned his attention to the remaining screens in front of him. "These ones awen't on".  
"Hang on Zuma. I know what to do". Skye jumped into Ryder's seat. The entire floor beneath them lowered down from the top of the tower.  
"Oh, yeah duh". Zuma said, walking over to Skye who pressed her paws on two screens on either side of her, powering on the huge engines below, causing the ship to rumble to life. Zuma walked back to his seat and pressed on the right screen. Now his controls had changed. Between the screens, the normal control wheel, that most of the rigs had, unfolded from the console. Zuma instantly recognised an accelerator and a brake located in the same place as his hovercraft. "I've got this guys". Zuma pressed the other screen, and the pups watched as the pier in front of them folded up and revealed the deck of the ship. "Lets go save them". The pups howled as the boat sailed smoothly out into the bay.

However, their cheering was quickly stopped. Zuma looked down at his screens and saw Marshall's icon flashing. "Um, guys, it's Mawshall. Do I answer?" He asked, unsure of what to do. He could ignore the call, but of course, by now he knew what they were doing.  
"We have to at somepoint. We knew this was coming". Skye reluctantly said as Zuma reached his paw to the monitor.  
"Oh, um. Hey Mawshall". Zuma said, smiling innocently. He noticed the look of disappointment in Marshall's expression, that coupled with something he hadn't really seen in Marshall. He was angry.  
"Zuma, we need to talk". His voice cut through the room like a blade. Rubble and Skye didn't like his tone. They too never really saw the dalmatian angry, and hearing it was somewhat unsettling.

"Zuma. Come back to dock. We need to discuss something. You too Skye and Rubble". Skye and Rubble walked over into view at the sound of their names.  
"Look, Mawshall. We didn't have a choice. Skye and I heard that signal last night. We knew it had to be Wyder. But, we didn't know how you'd react. We were scared that if we told you our plan, you'd say no and Wyder and Chase would be left for days until being wescued. You've seen what the code was saying. Chase is hurt. We don't know if it's weally bad or not so the best thing to do is to take things into our own paws. We're going to save them, whether you like it or not." Zuma said, his smile gone from his face, replaced with a stone cold expression of a mix of determination, and worry. What was he worried about? Ryder and Chase? Or how Marshall would respond. Marshall was just as much family as Chase and Ryder, and he would never want to upset him, but he was left with no choice surely?  
"Zuma. Look, if I did hear the plan, you're right. I wouldn't have let it happen. Rocky actually just came up with the exact same plan as you guys did. Everest thought it was a good plan too, even Jake did. But I didn't. I thought it wouldn't be what Ryder would want me to do," Marshall took a breath, his expression softening slightly, "but I can't think about what Ryder would want me to do in this sort of situation. I don't care what he would want me to do either. Sure, it might be my responsibility to protect the town, but Ryder and Chase come first. Every time." Zuma watched Marshall as he spoke. "So.. come back. We'll all go together. We can even have Robodog pilot. There won't be any punishments, although I think Rocky might be a bit upset about the torn out page in his book", Skye looked over at Zuma, mouthing the words I told you so. "I get why you did it. But I think it would be safer if we all went. Jake said he'd watch the town for a while in our absence, just come back".

Zuma turned to Rubble and Skye, who just sat and looked at him. "We'll follow your lead Zuma". Skye said, Rubble nodding in agreement.  
"Mawshall... you're much smarter than people give you cwedit for, and because of that, I don't believe you. I'm sowwy. If I turn this boat awound, you're just gonna lock it and send out whoever else to wescue Wyder and Chase",  
"No, Zuma I-"  
"I'm sorry Mawshall, but we have to do this, or things could get worse". With that, Zuma ended the call and looked back at his smaller-than-usual team. "Did I do the right thing?"  
"Who knows Zuma, but this is the only way we'll know for sure that we rescue Ryder and Chase", Skye answered.  
"She's right. I don't like upsetting the others like this, and especially not Marshall, but we don't have any other options now, we're too far into it to give up". Rubble said. Zuma nodded in agreement. Zuma pressed his paw down on the accelerator, speeding the boat out of the bay and towards the open ocean.

* * *

 _15:30pm - 1 Day after crash_

Marshall stood looking at the monitor in disbelief. "Do they really think I care so little? Is that how bad of a leader I've been?" Marshall said, looking blankly at where half of his team were once watching him pour his heart out. "They don't believe me at all". Everest sat next to Marshall and wrapped her leg around his shoulders and pulled him into a hug.  
"It's a tough situation for everyone Marshall, everyone is reacting differently. I guess this is just how these three are coping". Everest felt a wetness on her paw, looking up she saw tears dripping from Marshall's face.  
"I've been trying so hard to keep myself together since the crash. I know it's been barely more than a day, and it's stupid that I've broken down so soon. I'm not just a bad leader, I'm a bad friend. So bad that my closest friends don't even believe me. And why should they. I've just been asking about how good of a leader I am, I've been so fixed on if I'm doing a good job, I never even asked how others are feeling". He slumped down as Everest let go of him and moved in front.  
"Marshall, you have been worried about everyone else. Asking them if you're doing a good job isn't looking for praise , it's asking if there is anyway you could be doing better. You've been worried that the pups don't think you've been doing a good enough job and you want to do better to make them happy".  
"She's right Marshall. All of us have been coping with the crash differently. I've just kept myself busy, repairing stuff, building stuff. I noticed that you didn't. You've been filling in the role at a time where you should have some time off to think. Because of that, you've had to do your work and your alone time at the same time, so you've never been given a moment to just be alone". Marshall looked up at Rocky who sat next to Everest in front of him. "Everyone is confused right now. We never imagined we'd be in this sort of situation and everyone's reacting differently. Our instincts show. Zuma's impulsiveness, Skye's determination and Rubble's caregiving nature are stronger in this situation than ever, which is why they've gone to such great lengths to do what they're doing and they're so determined now, they probably won't give up. If we want to join them, we're gonna have to catch up ourselves". Rocky walked over to the monitor again and pressed a button. "The beach tower's carousel is saying that only Zuma, Rubble and Skye's sea patrol rigs are missing. Yours, mine and Chase's are still there. We just need to release them". Rocky put on his pup-pack and cap and walked back over to Marshall. "So what do you say? Are we gonna sit here and mope? Or go rescue our family?" Rocky stood waiting for a response. Everest stood next to him, putting her pack back on. Marshall looked up at the two pups in front of him.  
"We need them back. And we're gonna get them", Marshall said, standing up and wiping his face, flipping his hat onto his head. "But.. uh, how do we get our boats?"  
"You leave that to me", Rocky said confidently.

* * *

 _13:30pm - 1 Day after crash_

The storm was finally passing. Chase stretched his paws out as he yawned, only to wince and pull them back in as he remembered his bandaged leg. He stood up and looked through his hazy vision at the cave he and Ryder were sat in. "Ryder!" Chase turned to see his owner slumped against the wall, gently snoring. He sighed in relief. " _He must be exhausted from carrying me all the way from the beach"_ Chase thought to himself. The height of the cave he and Ryder discovered allowed him to see out across the top of most of the trees. They were at least a mile inland, away from the shore. Turning around, Chase lifted his ear, hearing a faint beeping sound. He looked down to see his tag connected to Ryder's pup-pad blinking and beeping in a pattern. " _Sure hope someone heard this"._ He carefully stepped over their only hope of escaping and walked over to Ryder, sitting down gently by his legs.

The sun slowly crept over the sky, lighting the shadows trying to hide from it's permeating glow. Small animals moved around in the foliage, which Chase watched in both Curiosity, and a feeling he hadn't felt before; something.. not domestic. It screamed in his ears. It made his body tense, his eyes sharpen and his ears point up. Chase felt hungry. Not the normal kind of hungry, for which he'd usually go get food from the lookout, or from Mr Porters if he was lucky, but this hunger felt more primal. He felt the urge to find food, living or not, and share with Ryder. "No, I can't do that. That's gross", Chase shook his head, taking the vile images from his mind and thinking on other things. "I wonder how the pups are doing. I wonder how Marshall is coping. Do they even think we're still alive?", Chase quietly muttered to himself as if someone was there to answer his questions. He laid down on the floor, resting his head on his forepaws, hearing nothing but his own heartbeat and the soft snores from the only company he had.

He sat up, looking at Ryder. The lower half of his jeans were torn and frayed, likely from the harsh foliage he had to walk through. Chase's fur matted his chest, left behind from where he was carried. His boots were completely encased in half-dried dirt. His once perky hair was matted down to his face, covering his closed eyes. Multiple scratch wounds could be seen on his hands and ripped sleeves. Chase felt bad. He wouldn't look this messed up if he hadn't had to carry him all the way to the cave. Carefully, he began to lick his wounds, taking the dirt and dried soil from his skin. Ryder stirred at the feeling, but didn't wake, but instead let out a heavy cough. Chase's ears flattened at the surprisingly loud sound coming from his master. He moved up to his forehead, and felt a powerful warmth coming from his skin. Ryder was sick. Sure, if this was back home, Marshall would have it sorted in no time; medicine, bed rest, clean clothes, soup. But here, there was nothing to do. Chase knew that even a basic cold could easily become something serious if nothing was done. He quickly thought of what needed to be done. Ryder needed warmth, rest, water... and food. Especially food. All of the walking yesterday for such a young human would tire him out completely. He'd be drained. Chase knew where to find food, but he didn't want to. The thought alone made him wretch. He turned to look out over the bushes beneath the cave. "Something else, anything else. I'm not killing bunnies or squirrels or ducks. Wait, ducks? Where there's ducks, there's water!" Chase slowly limped out of the cave, looking back at Ryder one last time before slipping into the foliage. "Besides, with a paw like this, it's not like I can chase anything anyways".

He stuck his nose in the air, and sniffed. A whole array of new aromas filled his nose. Usually, he would smell the other pups nearby, or Ryder, even the smell of Chickaletta would be more reassuring right about now. Exotic smells filled the air, but he was looking for one scent in particular. A clean, fresh scent. Slowly, Chase began to walk towards a clearing, the scent becoming stronger and stronger. New aromas added themselves to the mix, causing Chase to slow down. "Birds? Rabbit? Ew, what is that smell?" Chase pulled some leaves out of the way, revealing a rotted carcass. Retching, he let go of the leaves. He couldn't even see what it was, but to be honest, he didn't really want to know. He continued towards the clearing, pushing leaves, branches and small rocks, clearing a path behind him, before he finally saw what he was smelling for.

"Water!" Chase limped towards the edge of the pool, a small stream leading from a pile of rocks corner blocked his path. "Rocky told me about this, a spring I think he called it. It means it's safe, or at least clean?" Chase took a drink. "Well, I know it's safe enough for me, but.. is it safe enough for Ryder?". Chase thought for a while. He knew dogs had stronger immune systems, and thus he could safely drink the water, but could Ryder? "I don't think he really has much of an option right now". Chase wandered over to the adjoining pool. "Wow, it's deeper than it looked". He watched as the water from the stream almost silently moved down the slope and merged with the pool. He watched as various shadows cast from the trees danced around in the deep. Along with other shadows. "Aha, fish! Now that I can do". Chase said, before plunging his face forward trying to catch a fish in his teeth. He pulled his head back up out of the water, looking somewhat defeated. "Yeah, didn't think that'd work". He sat down on his haunches. "I wish Rocky was here. He could make a rod out of anything. Or Zuma, I bet with his swimming, he'd catch all the fish in minutes".

* * *

 _16:20pm - 1 Day after crash_

The sun continued to crawl across the sky, hours passing as Chase continued to catch fish in vain. "Come on, one last try". Chase willed himself to his feet, stumbling slightly as his broken paw touched the ground. He dragged himself to the edge of the water, looking at the fish as they seemed to mock him for his unfruitful attempts. He breathed slowly, before holding his breath and plunging forward, mouth open. He felt his teeth strike something. Something wriggling. He quickly pulled his head back up. "A fsh, ah caugh a fsh", he mumbled as the scaled creature moved around between his teeth. Chase knew what to do next, but still part of him was against it. "I'm sorry", Chase mumbled, before biting down. His sharp canines easily pierced the soft, scaled flesh of the fish, causing crimson liquid to spill from the newly made holes. Blood covered the inside of his mouth and he spat the fish out onto the floor and watched as its movements slowed, and eventually stopped altogether. He quickly began to rinse his mouth, spitting the red tinted water out onto the ground. The taste of blood in his mouth causing his mind to hark back to his early life, and certain memories he'd rather avoid.* He felt both triumphant, and guilty at the same time. He picked up the fish, before turning away from the edge of the water and heading back into the foliage.

He limped into the cave and dropped the fish, then looked over at Ryder. He was still asleep. Chase didn't know if he had woken up at any point whilst he had been out, but he knew Ryder's jacket held a small flask. Softly, Chase unzipped Ryder's jacket, and opened it. For a moment, he watched the rise and fall of his chest, and his shirt slowly become unstuck from the sweat drenched skin beneath. Chase took the flask in his teeth, and walked back towards the entrance to the cave before slowly stepping out again and headed back towards the pond. He knew he had to be quick. The sun was very far across the sky now, and whilst he wasn't certain what time it was, he knew better than to be out late on a potentially dangerous island.

* * *

 _17:10pm - 1 Day after crash_

Ryder slowly opened his eyes before trying to sit up. His head throbbed and his body felt stiff and lurched as he tried to compel it to move. Groggily, he looked around the cave. He saw his makeshift morse code device, still broadcasting to his right. He inhaled deeply, trying to clear his mind, only for his nose to be filled with the scent of fish. He looked over and saw a medium sized, what he thought to be a carp, or trout of some sorts. Slowly, he stood up and walked over to it. "This certainly wasn't here last night". He inspected the fish, noticing a series of holes spaced apart neatly. "Teeth marks?" Ryder began to get concerned. All sorts of wild animals live in caves, all sorts of wild animals eat fish. All sorts of wild animals eat meat in general... "Chase?! Chase where are you?" Ryder looked around, walking over to the entrance to the cave. The sun was touching the horizon. "It's close to 5pm, I think. I must have been asleep for hours". Ryder held his head as it throbbed, his mind practically screaming at him to sit down. Agonisingly, he stepped out of the cave, light blinding his eyes. forcing him to squint. Slowly, they adjusted. He pushed out into the overgrowth, following the sound of moving water in the distance. He pushed through a small section of leaves, stopping at a strong stench. He looked down at a half rotted carcass. He didn't need to look at it for long before he turned to the side as his body tried to vomit, but after not eating anything for hours, there was nothing to come up. He glanced back at the foul pile of bones and flesh, before walking back out. "That.. that was part of some kind of predatory cat. It's not quite hot enough here for cheetahs, certainly not lions. A panther. It was a type of panther". Ryder felt nervous now. His already pained mind began to piece together a scene in his head. He was asleep, meanwhile, a panther entered the cave with fish. Chase saw and tried to defend Ryder and.. the panther.. "Oh god", Ryder slumped against a tree. He wept quietly, his analytical mind being his downfall in this situation. He could vividly see what could have happened.

Snap. Ryder stood up, alert. Rustling came from a nearby row of bushes, along with the sound of snapping twigs and footsteps. He watched as something stepped a paw out of the bushes, before he quickly moved around to the back of the tree. Whatever it was, walked towards him. He could hear the footsteps getting closer, and louder. He listened intently, he didn't really have much of a choice. Before long, he noticed a distinct pattern in its movements. If it was human, which he already knew it wasn't, he would only hear two feet moving. Which meant it was an animal. But he only heard a set of three feet touching the ground. An injured animal? Ryder could think of two situations now. One, it was Chase. After his paw was injured, there was no way Chase could walk around on it. Or two, it's whatever took Chase, wandering back to its cave, but with an injured leg due to a fight with Chase, or maybe another predatory animal? He didn't risk looking. If it were the latter, he'd be spotted instantly and suffer the same presumed grisly fate of Chase. But if it were Chase? He didn't have to wait long, as the footsteps passed him by. He waited a few seconds, before turning his head and looking in the direction it was headed. He practically cried for joy. "Chase!"

* * *

 _18:45pm - 1 Day after crash_

"Ryder, what were you thinking wandering around like that? You're really not well right now!" Chase said, watching as Ryder slumped down against the cave wall.  
"Yeah, well you shouldn't be walking about with that broken paw Chase. If it doesn't heal right, you might not be able to walk on it again at all". Ryder counter-argued. They both sat in silence for a few minutes, watching as the amber light from the sunset cast itself through the entrance to the cave, an occasional cough splitting the silence. "What were you doing out there Chase?" Ryder asked, finally starting a conversation. Chase walked over to the fish and sat next to it, then moved Ryder's blue and red flask into view.  
"Gathering supplies. Food, water. You really aren't well Ryder. If someone has heard our message, and I really hope someone has... If someone has heard it, it will still take days for them to reach us, no matter where they set off from. So, I went for a walk, well.. more of a limp, and found fresh water and a pond of fish. It took me hours to finally get one, but it should be enough for a day or two?". Ryder sat back, impressed by his pup. He never trained Chase, or most of the pups, how to survive in the wild like this. Chase was following instincts.  
"You're such a good pup Chase".  
"So, Ryder, why were you out?" Chase asked, moving over and sitting on Ryder's legs. Ryder thought back to his previous ideas of where Chase had gone. He didn't want to worry the pup.  
"Same as you I guess? Great minds think alike and all?" Ryder said, scratching Chase behind the ear. "We're going to need a fire. Who knows how cold it gets when it's dark. Plus, we can cook the fish and it will keep... other things away". Chase felt uncomfortable about the end of that sentence.  
"Other.. things?" He asked.  
"Oh, foxes, badgers. Small things y'know". Ryder said. He knew if Chase found out about the existence of larger animals on this island, that he would be terrified. He might be good at playing the brave, fearless cop, but even the bravest cop would be phased at the idea of a huge, meat eating cat lurking about at night.  
"Right, so.. we'll need wood". Chase stood up and wandered out the front of the cave, before coming back with a mouthful of twigs and branches. "These good?" He asked. Ryder looked at the branches.  
"Most of these have dried out enough from that storm. Some of them might have to wait a while". Ryder pushed what sticks he could use into place. "Chase, this is going to be an odd request, but there's nothing else really sharp enough in here". Chase looked up at Ryder. "Could you use your teeth, and tear a bit of my jeans off". Chase, as Ryder expected, was a bit confused.  
"I.. grew out of chewing your clothes years ago Ryder. And now you want me to start again?"  
"I need something to light, something easily lit. These jeans are already frayed and messed up. If I can pick the fabric apart a bit, it would make an ideal way to start a fire". Chase nodded, before taking a small part of Ryder's jeans into his mouth and pulled, it was difficult, but eventually, he felt the fibres split and tear with a satisfying sound. He sat up and spat the fabric out onto the ground.  
"Tastes like dirt!" Chase said. Ryder took the fabric and began to pull threads out, making it look almost fluffy. Ryder then rubbed down his shirt, gathering the hair Chase had left behind on it from the previous night's walk through the woods. He bundled it together with the frayed fabric, before placing the rolled up item into the base of the twigs.

"So, now what?" Chase asked. He knew Ryder wouldn't carry any form of fire lighting equipment round with him. He watched as he stood up and gathered stones.  
"Flintrock. I noticed it when we got here", Ryder said, picking up a variety of pebbles from the ground. He turned around and clashed two of them together, causing sparks, to which Chase looked at in awe. "This would be much easier with Marshall here", Ryder said. Chase looked up in confusion,  
"He stops fires Ryder, not starts them".  
"Yeah, but he has to know how to start fires, so he can figure out how to stop them before they happen". Ryder struck sparks onto his home-made firestarter, causing it to smoulder slightly. He bent down and gently breathed on it. Chase sat aside, fascinated as the embers in the fire began to glow brighter. Ryder sat back and coughed heavily and then leaned back against the cave wall. "Tada. Fire".  
"That was pretty cool Ryder", Chase said, feeling impressed by Ryder's initiative, but his smile soon faded as Ryder continued coughing. He pushed the flask over to him. "You need to drink Ryder". Ryder took the flask and slowly sipped from it. Chase placed the fish on the fire.  
"One of us is going to have to refill this tomorrow". Ryder said. Chase took the flask from Ryder.  
"Me, out of the two of us, I'm the fittest at the moment. You're only gonna get worse if you walk around. You have to stay here and keep warm". Chase said, before giggling. "I sound like Marshall", he said, causing Ryder to laugh too. They both fell silent for a short time, before Chase broke it. "I miss them Ryder".  
"So do I Chase".  
"How do you think they're coping? I don't know what I'd be doing if I were them", Chase said, his ears falling at the thought of the rest of his team, his friends, his family, possibly thinking they were gone. How torn they would feel. He realised the last thing Rocky and Marshall saw of him and Ryder was the Air Patroller plummeting into the ocean. "They could think we're dead", he finally said. Ryder was shocked at the idea, but soon realised that Chase's conclusion was right. At this point, anyone would figure it out and think the same thing.  
"They're tough Chase. Even if they think that, they wouldn't let it get in the way of their jobs. Marshall is in charge, and I know he'll always do what's right. I trust him, and the rest of the pups, to do what is right. Besides, someone will get our signal", Ryder coughed heavily for a few seconds, "someone will find us". They both fell silent again, listening to the crackling of the fire.  
"I hope so".

* * *

*Please refer back to the Chapter; Chase's case.

 _ **Review Responses**_

 **alwkb: Thanks for your interest in the story, I understand your impatience, as I too follow lots of stories that sometimes go months, (one or two have left it years) before posting a new chapter. So far, I haven't gone over a month between chapters, and that was due to some very time consuming work I had to finish. Sorry for leaving such long gaps between chapters, I don't plan to leave more than a week between chapters now. I do have a life outside of this, which in the coming weeks will become more busy than its ever been. Next time you are worried that I'm not gonna post again, feel free to message me and I'll be more than happy to give you an update. (I usually start writing the next chapter the same day as the previous one was posted, or at least finalise the plan for it. I'm writing this bit on the same day that Chapter 7 was released).**

 **Rescue Wolf: Always happy to listen to suggestions! PM me if you'd like and I'll try and respond as soon as I can. Glad you're enjoying the story. I didn't want romance to play a key role in this story, so I just kept it as mentions once or twice. I was toying with the idea of Zuma and Rocky but figured there were enough jokes already. (Why Marshall wonders why Rocky knows what Zuma's saliva smells like towards the end of the previous chapter). I too wish something like this would happen. The closest we have was Pups Save Ryder, where Chase takes the lead. I don't know if Chase is actually the second in command canonically but I like to think that the numbers on the Pup's equipment and vehicles do actually have a role somewhere. Thanks, I intend to keep up the work, great or not :)**

 **wrldqueek: Cheers dude, glad you're enjoying it. I too like the idea of other pups having to step up to a role they never thought they would need to do. Lots of room for character development between all the characters in the story. One of the best episodes for me in the series is Pups Leave Marshall Home Alone because he has to step in and fill in for the other pups and do the roles he wasn't exactly trained for. Other moments like Zuma driving Rubble's rig terribly or when Chase does the same take the characters out of what we're used to and throws them into a situation outside of their comfort zone, giving them lots of opportunity for events that would not happen otherwise. As I said in my PM, you predicted half of what happens, but I do want there to be some more conflict between what I now see as Marshall's team and Zuma's. I could very easily wrap this story up in two more chapters, or if I was feeling very lazy, maybe even one, but I'd rather have more events happen.**

 **mandy: Thank you. I intend to :)**

 **Chase: Glad to hear from you again and even more glad that you're still following this story. The views for it have gone down dramatically over the past few chapters, so it's reassuring to know that there are at least a few people who will still read it.**

 **SwarmX: High praise coming from someone who writes good stories. As I said in my PM, I was skeptical at the first thought of your character, Antichrist throughout Terror's peak, but you made the character believable, and not just feel like it was shoehorned in there for conflict. I have a bit of a weakness for OCs, and I tend to ignore stories where there are tonnes of them as it gets confusing very quickly and they tend to fall into lots of Cliche traps when being written, but you did brilliantly.  
I appreciate your understanding for breaks between chapters, and like I said, I much rather prefer quality over quantity, and thus I don't rush my chapters, but that does mean there can be a rather large gap between them. (Though I'd prefer from this point for that gap to be no longer than a week at most). I also look forward to reading more, but from you. I enjoy both of your stories, as the ChasexSkye one is a bit more lighthearted, but Terrors Peak is still my favourite out of the two. Not sure what I'll do after this one, I intend to write more, but I'm toying with a few ideas at the moment.**

Oof, that was a lengthy comment response thing, maybe I should work on shortening my responses? Also, for anyone who is wondering, as I've seen some people ask it in other stories, I have Zuma pronouncing a lot of R's as W's, as for a few seasons, he had a speech impediment. I thought it was a great part of his character, until they removed it with a new voice actor at some point. It wasn't until the previous chapter, where there was a lot of Zuma dialogue, did I realise that it is infuriating to type haha. Still won't stop me, as I think it's part of his character now.

Anyways, keep the comments coming, I love responding to you guys, makes my effort feel appreciated.


	9. Chapter 9: Intercept and Extinguish

**As with the previous chapter, review responses will be found at the bottom. I think it works better like that.**

 **I'm sorry to say, but this story is reaching an end soon. Maybe another two or three, maybe four chapters left if I push it as far as I can. I've really enjoyed writing it so far, and part of me is going to be glad its done, because it has been a thing at the back of my mind every day saying I should go finish it. It's ended up much longer than I expected it to, it already has a total word count of over 37'000 words which is much more than I was expecting, and I expect it to finish with probably 60k words-ish. Certainly not the longest story on this site, not at all. I believe Paw Patrol Origins is the longest, and that wasn't even finished. (If you haven't, go read that.** **s/11306476/1/PAW-Patrol-Origins its a fantastic story, a lot grittier than what the characters would usually expect, and I have seen lots of references to it in other stories on here, so it almost feels like a necessity. Plus, it'll fill the gaps between my uploads).**

 **Anyways, I hope I'm uploading fast enough for you guys, but after this chapter, I will probably take a little break to plan the next few chapters, as this is now the end of my current plan. By now, my original plan had Ryder and Chase rescued. (I also had an alternative story that I'll explain in greater detail at the end of this chapter, and I might write that next, sorta as a bonus perhaps? Because it was an initial idea, it's not really fleshed out or ready to become a full story, so there would be a good length of time before that showed up).**

 **Anyways, reviews are at the bottom, along with a suggested sequel? Idk..**

* * *

Chapter 9: Intercept and Extinguish

 _15:35pm - 1 Day after crash_

Everest and Zuma sat panting after sprinting after Rocky down to the Beach Tower. "Huh, I've never actually seen the tower without the Sea Patroller docked. It looks.. weird", Marshall said, stood at the side of the lifted wooden pier, noticing multiple things underneath that would usually be covered by the large ship. Connectors for power, fuel, some kind of water line? Lots of pipes with closed off ends that he assumed connected to the underside of the ship when docked.

"Over here guys, I've almost got it", Rocky said from a distance, calling the two over. For now Marshall, I've only been able to undock your boat. It's just a bit faster than Chase's, so it's the best option to use to catch up", Rocky said as his pincer arm folded back into his pack and Marshall's fire-boat clicked from it's holder.  
"How'd you do that?" Marshall said, impressed at his friends ingenuity. Rocky just shrugged,  
"Sometimes, it makes more sense to know how to take things apart than to try and build more", he answered.  
"Sorta cryptic Rocky", Everest said,  
"I mean, they're only locked in by two bolts.. it's not actually that difficult", Rocky said, gesturing to two holes at the front of the carousel. Marshall jumped into his boat and started it. The powerful engine roaring to life.  
"So.. what am I meant to do when I get close enough? It's not like they're just gonna stop for me like I missed the bus", Marshall asked. Honestly, Rocky and Everest weren't sure.  
"Just.. you'll probably figure it out. Now go, if they reach the open sea before you, your boat won't be able to handle the waves". Rocky said, urging Marshall to leave. "I'll unlock my boat and Chase's, Everest and I will catch up". Marshall slammed his paw down on the accelerator, speeding off across the sand and flying into the water at a great speed, leaving a trail of dust and ocean spray behind him as he quickly skimmed across the water.

"Why do you need Chase's boat?" Everest asked.  
"Well, you need something to drive too.." Rocky said, before taking his tool arm back out from its pack and began to work on the next boat.

The sound of the rain, finally slowing down mixed with the sound of the waves hitting the beach. Both pups sat in silence listening to it, just working on their own thoughts.  
"This storms caused too many problems. I wish it would just go away already", Rocky said, breaking the uneasy silence. "If it weren't for this storm, Ryder and Chase would be back by now, and we wouldn't be having to do all this. Something as simple as this has quite literally torn the team apart". Everest watched Rocky speak but didn't respond, listening intently. "I'm meant to be the smart one here, and I never even considered looking at the weather radar before they headed off?" Smack.

Rocky looked up, his cap fell from his head. He rubbed his ear. "What the heck was that for?" He said, teary-eyed.  
"Don't you go blaming yourself for this, because it makes literally no sense whatsoever. You don't control the weather. Ryder probably knew about the storm, and yet he went anyways. You didn't make them do it",  
"so it's Ryder's fault?" Rocky interjected,  
"No! Maybe... sort of?" Everest responded. "I didn't mean it like that. I'm saying no one could have seen this happening. That's why we're all reacting differently. No one was prepared for it to happen, so no one knows what to do. That's why Zuma, Skye and Rubble have basically gone AWOL. Marshall feels incompetent because he doesn't know what to do at the moment either, but no one does, and it's tearing me apart seeing him doubt himself like that, I'm not going to watch another one of my friends do the same".

Rain continued to fall, wind pushing branches and leaves over the smooth surface of wet sand. "Would you have done it?" Everest asked.  
"Done what?" Rocky responded, removing another bolt from the rig anchor.  
"What Zuma and the others are doing. If you knew what they were doing, would you have joined them?" Rocky thought about his answer for a long time, making Everest somewhat uncomfortable. "Sorry, you don't need to answer it".  
"Yes."  
"Yes?"  
"Yes. I would have done it. Just as Marshall is doing it right now. And how we're doing it too. Zuma doesn't want anyone else to rescue Ryder and Chase because he believes there isn't anyone better suited for this than us. We have all the skills, all the gear, but he lacked the permission. He knew he was going to have to break rules, lots of them. Heck, I don't know if Marshall was lying about consequences. I hope he is, because taking the Sea Patroller and Marshall's badge, disobeying direct orders.. it's probably an expulsion-worthy act.."  
"You think Marshall will kick them off the team?"  
"No. I know he wouldn't. First of all, it's not in his nature. Marshall cares too much for everyone else to do something like that. Plus, we'd lose literally half of our team, and no one else can do their jobs in the team. Zuma, I mean, sure we're all lifeguard trained, but he saves boats, scuba dives.. no one can do it as well as he can. Skye is probably the best pilot on this half of the planet. She flies pretty much anything like she was born to, and Rubble? What other dog have you seen completely reconstruct a street of houses in less than a month. They are irreplaceable as team members, but even more so as family". Everest watched as Rocky's demeanour softened slightly, his guard settling down. "Skye is like the group's sister, and obviously before you joined, she was the only female member. Not to mention Chase has a really.. Really obvious crush on her. Plus, she's the only voice of reason amongst us. She always steps in when we're about to do something stupid. And Rubble, I mean.. it's Rubble. He's the best person to be around when you need to talk to someone. Despite his age, he can actually give some really mature advice". Everest noticed how happy Rocky looked talking about his friends, or the way he was talking about them, his family. "And Zuma, I mean, he's just brilliant to be around. He's always got something to do when you're bored. He taught me to swim when I was a pup, or at least, a younger pup at least. Plus he's smart, kind, kinda cute.." Everest smirked hearing the last word,  
"Cute?"  
"Shut up. He's a friend, more of a brother.. I- shut up". Rocky pulled the final boat from Chase's rig. "What about you? Would you do it too?"  
"Absolutely".  
"You're not even gonna think about it?"  
"No".  
"Oh, um well ok then".  
"Ryder and Chase would do the same for us if it were us in their position, so why wouldn't we?"

Rocky moved to his rig and began to take the bolts out from the anchor. "So.. you and Zuma eh?" Everest asked, looking at the mixed breed who completely stiffened at her question. He was obviously blushing.  
"Um.. well what about you and Marshall?" He quickly responded, successfully shifting the focus to her as she too heavily blushed.  
"What do you mean?"  
"Oh come on Ev, look at him. Think about it. He chose to have Jake's mountain on his patrol route. Really, it would make more sense having Skye run that route as she could cover more ground. He clearly just wants to spend more time with you". Everest blushed realising it.  
"How long until your boat is ready?"  
"Oh, it's been ready for a few minutes, I just wanted to get back at you". He said, laughing as his boat rolled out from its lock.

* * *

"They work the same as our rigs, more or less. Go easy on the steering, a little goes a long way", Rocky said, before speeding his rig off into the water. He looked back at the beach, seeing Everest reversing into the beach tower. He turned his focus forwards, trying to spot Marshall. In the distance, he could see a fast moving object, too small to make out but it was Marshall for sure, sailing right towards the sea patroller. He could easily make that out, big, red, blue, white, moving very fast too. Rocky pushed his paw down on the accelerator, pushing his boat to its limit. A big spray of water covered him and his rig, followed by intense laughter.  
"TRY TO KEEP UP!" Everest yelled back as she sped into the distance in a blue boat. He shook his head, flinging water everywhere, "Ugh", Rocky knew his rig wouldn't be able to catch up to Marshall and Everest. He brought it for a different reason.  
"Marshall. It's Rocky, Everest is on her way now, I am too, but a lot slower. I have a plan, but I need you and Everest to distract Zuma, slow the boat down enough for me to get close".  
"On it Rocky" Marshall responded.  
"Sure thing!" Everest turned off her communicator and sailed in close next to Marshall. "So, what's the plan?"  
"Chase's boat functions the same as his pack, more or less. There must be something we can use to slow it down".  
"-bark- Grappling hook. A rope launched from Chase's boat and attached itself to the back of the Sea Patroller. Everest slammed her paw into the brakes and reversed, only for the hook to easily detach and retract. "The Sea Patroller is much stronger than any of our rigs, even Rubble's would be overpowered, we aren't gonna do this with brute force. We need to be smart. I know we're faster than the Sea Patroller.. so maybe we could try something... sorta stupid", Marshall explained.  
"Stupid? Wait what do y-" Everest asked as Marshall sped off into the distance in front of the Sea Patroller. Everest watched as he floored the brakes and drifted around on the surface of the water to face the oncoming ship.

Marshall sat, staring through the window of the Sea Patroller in the distance, looking right at Zuma, who had a worried expression on his face.  
"Marshall! They won't be able to stop in time even if they wanted to! Get out of the way!"  
"We don't need them to stop!" Marshall responded, seeing Rocky's ship getting closer, "we just need them to slow down".

"Mawshall!" Zuma's voice boomed across the water, "Mawshall move, we can't stop in time! Get out of the way!" Marshall held fast,  
"Rocky, if you're doing something, get on with it!"  
"Just a little longer Marshall! I'm almost there!"  
"Where!? I can't see you Rocky!" Everest yelled.  
"That's the idea!" Rocky responded.  
"Please Mawshall! Move! I can't stop it!" Zuma's voice carried worry and terror. He had no idea of what Marshall was doing. "Move!" Marshall didn't. Everest sped forward, sailing right towards Marshall.  
"Jump!"  
"No! Rocky needs more time!"  
"You don't have any more to give. Now jump!" Marshall still didn't move. Everest panicked. She looked to her left and saw the bow of the Sea Patroller only a couple of seconds away. She grabbed Marshall by his collar and dragged him into her boat.  
"Everest! No!" She sped out of the way, and turned, seeing Marshall's boat crumple and snap under the immense weight of the Sea Patroller. Splinters of red fibre glass flew out from underneath, with Marshall's fire emblem floating to the surface as the ship passed them by.  
"DID YOU WANT THAT TO BE YOU? ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?" She said, tears dampening her already soaked face.  
"Everest, there wasn't another way to slow them down! I was gonna move before it hit me!"  
"What kind of a leader would you have been as fish bait?" Everest said, holding him close to her.  
"Everest. I-"  
"Shut up. Sit down." Marshall did as he was told and sat behind Everest. "You do something like that again.. and it won't be the boat you'll have to worry about", she said with a low growl. Marshall gulped.

"Rocky, that better have been slow enough", he said, changing the subject.  
"Sure was, I'm onboard".  
"How?" Everest asked. "I couldn't even see you!"  
"I wasn't on the surface. My rig goes underwater. Ironic, I know. Of course the pup who hates water gets to be completely submerged in it".  
"Ok, but how would you get in underwater?" She asked. Marshall answered.  
"The Sub Patroller bay! You got in through the underside of the ship! Rocky, that was genius!"  
"The what?"  
"Sub Patroller. A submarine housed in the hull of the ship. Rocky got in by going through the launch bay!"  
"Cool. But what about us?"  
"Rocky said he had a plan. If he has a plan, we just wait for our part".

* * *

 _15:40pm - 1 Day after crash_

"By now, they've found a way to follow us. We need to get out of the range of our boats" Skye said.  
"We can't go any faster Skye. They won't be able to get onboard if we're moving anyways". Zuma answered.

"Um, guys, this thing's beeping", Rubble said, pointing at a screen in front of him.  
"That's the Wadar Wubble. It shows when things are near",  
"So this beeping means someone is near?"  
"Um... yeah it does, Skye go check it out!"  
"On it".

Skye walked out onto the deck, the harsh wind and salty air blasting her in the face, coupled with spray from the ocean and the rain. She walked to the back of the ship and looked behind them. She squinted, and then pulled her goggles down onto her face and zoomed in. She saw a boat, red and yellow, skimming across the waves at great speed towards them. "Zuma, it's Marshall, he's got his boat from the beach tower".  
"Like I said, he can't get onboard when we're moving. Don't wowwy". She then looked further back and saw Everest speeding towards them too.  
"Everest is coming too. She has Chase's boat".  
"What about Wocky?"  
"I don't see him. I think he stayed at shore". She walked back into the bridge and sat back down near Rubble. The three of them sat and watched out of the front window at the endless stretch of sea before them.

Rubble watched out of the side of the window, seeing Everest fire a rope at the back of the Sea Patroller. Nothing happened, the rope simply detached and reeled back in. "It's too strong for them to attach too".  
"Wubble, we're like the size of a building and our boats are tiny. Of course we're too big. They can't do anything to make us- wait, what's happening?"  
"What?" Skye sat up, walking to the front. "Marshall? What's he doing?" All three pups looked out of the window as Marshall sped past the Sea Patroller, before drifting and turning a complete 180 and facing towards them. "He's stopped". Zuma pressed a button on the console and spoke.  
"Mawshall. Mawshall, move we can't stop in time!" Skye and Rubble looked at each other, and then at Marshall who sat staring right at them. They all suddenly felt very, very uneasy. Marshall's expression was blank. No emotions shown at all. What was he doing? Zuma turned the engines to reverse in an attempt to slow the ship down, turning the wheel as far as it would go, but the ship still continued to lurch towards the dalmatian. "Get out of the way!" He still did nothing.  
Skye ran out of the bridge, her wings extending as she sprinted to the bow. "Please Mawshall! Move! I can't stop it!" Skye dove from the front of the ship, but saw Everest snatch Marshall from his boat and sail out of the way. Skye flew upwards and watched in horror as Marshall's boat crumpled up underneath the bow of the ship, folding like tinfoil under the powerful boat.

Zuma and Rubble yelled in horror, hearing the sound of something hitting the underside of their ship. "Marshall!" Rubble yelled, before the door opened and Skye walked back in.  
"He's fine. Everest moved him".  
"What on Earth was he thinking?" Rubble asked. "How badly does he want us to stop? He'd throw himself under a boat for it?"  
"Mawshall's not that stupid. He knows if he wanted us to stop, he'd move further away and give us time to stop"  
"So, what? He did that for what reason then?" Skye asked.

Suddenly, the room fell dark. The ship fell silent. The engines turned off altogether, the controls were blank. "What happened?"  
"Hey guys".

* * *

 _3 Minutes Earlier_

Rocky quietly stepped out his boat, turning his tag off. He walked around the small room, looking at the panels on the walls, holding various bits of equipment for each of the pups. He looked up and saw the Sub Patroller ready for launch. He knew what he was looking for, and began to search. He opened various panels on the walls and floor, each opening with a sci-fi esque hiss. Most just held supplies; food, water, medicines, bandages. Some had their emblems on. Rocky opened his, inside was all of his gear he'd usually have at the lookout. It had everything inside it, his normal gear, his sea patrol gear, winter gear, even his jungle gear. "Jeez, Ryder really overpacks", he said, closing his panel. Finally, he found the panel he was looking for. He pressed a paw against it, but it simply showed a keypad.  
"Dang". Rocky began typing various codes. Each pup's birthday, the opening of the lookout. Ryder's first rescue, their address. Anything he could think of. Then it hit him, the most important numbers to Ryder. A date he'd never forget. So much happened that day, and as bad as it was, if it didn't happen, the paw patrol wouldn't exist the way it did. Rocky entered the day of Ryder's house fire. The day his parents died. The day he and Chase founded the paw patrol.

With a reassuring beep, the panel opened, revealing an array of fuses. Rocky pulled a large lever at the bottom, and the heavy hum of the engine stopped completely. The lights turned off, and red light filled the room in its place. He heard the pups above asking questions in confusion. "Marshall, Everest. I've cut the power. It'll slow down, you get on through the front". Rocky pushed another button on the control panel, and the front of the Sea Patroller opened up. He then headed upstairs.

Once outside, he felt the harsh wind and sea rain spray against him, he squinted his eyes through the storm and headed to the door. He heaved it open manually, without power, it was difficult. His eyes adjusted to the low light on the bridge, and he saw three pups sat discussing things amongst themselves.

"Hey guys".

* * *

"Wocky? Did you do this?" Zuma was surprised to see him, and Rocky simply nodded in response. "Look, dude. We didn't have a choice. None of us want to leave Wyder and Chase's wescue to a team of total strangers. We're more than capable. Skye and I knew that Mawshall would disapprove, he wouldn't let us go. And just because you're here doesn't mean you can convince us. We've already broken so many rules, whats the point of stopping now?"  
Rocky listened, his face remaining blank. He looked at Rubble.  
"What about you? Why are you doing this? Why did you guys get him involved?" Rocky asked, looking a little angry.  
"I chose to join them. I found them in your puphouse reading through a book. They said they could save Ryder, I didn't care about anything else.. I.. I just want my family back", Rubble said, tearing up slightly.  
"Look, Wocky, if you've come here to convince us, it's not gonna happen dude", Zuma began to turn back towards the control point before stopping at the sound of a new voice.

"We're not here to convince you Zuma. We're not here to convince any of you". He turned around and saw Marshall and Everest stand next to Rocky.  
"You! Are you out of your mind? That wasn't stupid, it was deadly!" Skye said, walking over to Marshall. Rocky stopped her. Everest held Rubble back also. Marshall stepped between the two towards Zuma.  
"Mawshall, I'm not coming with you. You can't do anything to make me", Zuma said, backing up slightly. "I'm not kidding Mawshall. We're going no matter what". A low growl began to form in his words. "If you're here to fight, I won't hold back", he warned, lowering himself to the ground. Zuma noticed Marshall's unchanged expression. He did just stare down a boat, it's not like a pup half his size was anything intimidating to him, but on the other hand, Zuma felt something he had never expected from Marshall; he was actually scared of him. He hadn't really noticed before, but Marshall was big, perhaps not as big as Chase, but he was tall, and undoubtedly strong. He continued to back away, his growling becoming slowly more intense.  
"Zuma, stop, just talk it out". Skye said, only for Rocky to push her back again.  
"Mawshall, please, I don't want this". A white paw extended out to Zuma, he bared his teeth, ready to fight back, but instead of it colliding with him, instead of pain, he felt, warm. He opened his eyes only to find that Marshall had pulled him into a hug.

"I'm so sorry Zuma. I've been a terrible leader and a worse friend. You're right. If you told me of your plan, I never would have let it happen. There was too much to risk. Us, Ryder and Chase, Adventure Bay. Who knows what's going to happen when we're away?" Marshall said, still holding Zuma in a hug. Zuma simply sat, stunned, and then, began to cry quietly.  
"Mawshall. I bwoke so many rules. I stole your tag, I stole the entire Sea Patwoller! I.." Zuma kept crying, his tears falling onto Marshall's fur. The others watched on from the side, Skye and Rubble both shocked at the outcome, even Everest and Rocky didn't expect this to happen. "Whatever I get, I deserve". Zuma said.  
"Nothing. You aren't going to get anything. Well, actually, I'll tell you what you are going to get; your tail back in that seat, and WE are going to get Ryder and Chase". Zuma heard the authority in his voice. "Rocky, go get Robodog from your sub, and turn the power back on".  
"Green means go Marshall".  
"Rubble, Everest. Monitor that signal. If it changes, I am the first to hear it".  
"Yes Marshall!" The two wandered off to various positions around the boat, Rocky headed back outside and into the launch bay.  
"Skye, you keep an eye on our map", Skye gave a joke salute and headed over to her position. Zuma began to walk back to the controls, before stopping and turning.  
"Mawshall, you're gonna need this", Zuma said, taking Marshall's command tag from his collar and handing it back. "You're in charge again, like it should be". Marshall smiled at Zuma before jumping up onto Ryder's captain chair.

The ship hummed back to life as Rocky pulled the lever back into place. The engines roared loudly under the ship, blasting water back as the Sea Patroller sped fowards through the water. The screens in the bridge turned on one by one, lights blinded the relatively dark room. The Sea Patroller was back alive. "Right pups, we're going to get Ryder and Chase, we're going to bring them back to Adventure Bay. Let's fix this team. Paw Patrol is on a Roll!" With that, Zuma hit the accelerator, pushing the Sea Patroller to its limits. "We're on our way guys".

* * *

 **Oof, that felt a little cliche/cheesy at the end there, but I had to have it in. It just seems to fit perfectly for that moment.**

 **Review Responses:**

 **Chase: Glad to hear it. I genuinely love interacting with you guys. Makes all my work seem like it's worth something. And I'm glad it makes you feel that way, it means I must be doing something right haha :)**

 _ **So, as I said at the start of the chapter, I did have an alternative version of this story that I was toying with for some time prior to beginning this one. The reason why I didn't use it, is because it meant Ryder and Chase would crash elsewhere, and I'd probably have to introduce some OCs which I am no good at using at all. That, or have them crash into Barkingburg instead and end up stranded. It would be much grittier and darker than this one, and would likely have the rest of the Paw Patrol think Ryder and Chase died in the crash, which, whilst would make for a good story, it is a narrative I have seen a few times. For example, the brilliant story, Terror's Peak, where the pups who were at the Lookout thought the ones who were taken away by the tsunami died, and made statues and stuff, only for a heartwarming reveal at the end. (Trying not to spoil the story for those who haven't read it yet, but I think I just did). Marshall gone Missing is another good example of this. Both do the whole "pups think the others are dead" trope really well and I just don't want to overdo it. Hence why I thought it would be much more interesting seeing Chase and Ryder survive on an island (which will become more hostile over time).**_

 ** _I didn't follow it because of the idea of either having to write OCs or write for the Earl, Sweetie and the Princess of Barkingburg, whilst they are actual characters, you see so little of them, I don't think it would be enough for me to write a story off of._**

 ** _Alternatively,_**

 ** _I was thinking of just writing a completely different story. I don't know what on yet, but either way, it would take me a long time for either of these choices as I like to have a basic plan of how the story will unfold. (At this point, I have the entire plan for Burning Responsibility laid out in a notepad document). I am moving to Uni in less than a month now, so I'm afraid that is going to take ALL priority over these stories, but I fully intend to have this finished before then anyways._**

 **Happy to hear thoughts and ideas from you guys. You know how much I love reading messages and reviews.**

 **Also, I've wrote 3 chapters over the past few days and uploaded them, and I'm kind of in the mood for a break. Plus I need to work out what direction to take this story now. Expect the next chapter within a week at most.**

 **Until next time,  
PupPupGo xx**


	10. Chapter 10: Rocky's Rescue

_**Wow this story has a lot more chapters than I was expecting to give it. Don't know if that's a good or a bad thing, but it is getting closer to the end now. About 3/4 of the way through. This chapter skips ahead a few days because I wanted there to be some developments that wouldn't really happen in the space of a few hours, and reading through my previous chapters, I felt as if I should have done that sooner, as a lot happened during the day after the crash, and I feel as if it would have been better if I let more time pass between events, but this is the first time I've wrote something, so at least I'll remember for the future.**_

 _ **I know at the start of the story, and in the description, I said this wouldn't really focus on romance, but I just sorta added it a few chapters ago and I think it's going well. In this sorta situation, I think I'd want someone to comfort me too. SO! I am adding romance to this story. And yes, there is a malexmale pairing. Don't like it? Tough :)**_

 _ **Thanks to wrldqueek for pointing out a few things I missed, especially messing up names which when reading through it again, actually sometimes made me laugh. Just updated it and it's only had one or two tweaks to fix grammar and messed up names. I did think I got them all when I was writing it, but if I have missed more, please let me know by copying and pasting the sentence into a PM and I'll fix it asap.**_

 _ **Gonna keep this brief, I'll waffle on some more at the end of the chapter, so that people who want to read the story and not listen to me can do without having to scroll tonnes of pages.**_

* * *

Chapter 10: Rocky's Rescue

 _9:45pm - 1 Day after crash_

The sound of the ocean roared outside the confines of the Sea Patroller. Inside, six pups sat exhausted. After days, the rain had finally subsided, or the Pups had sailed out from under the clouds, either way, one certain mixed breed was grateful for the reduction in the amount of water he was going to have to come into contact with throughout their mission. He sat outside on the deck, watching the dark horizon for the sign of life. He knew he was miles away, even days away from Scrawlrock Isles, and even then, they'd have to find which one they were on. Rocky was formulating plans, he worked best separated away from others, it meant his mind had more time to concentrate on more important topics than "tug-rope" or "tag". Sure, Rocky loved playing with the others, and would happily play over work, but this was no time for games. He continued to stare out over the edge of the ship, not hearing the sound of footsteps approaching from behind.

"Wocky?" Rocky turned his head to see Zuma stood, looking concerned. "It's fweezing out here dude. Not to mention it's getting late, you coming back in soon?" The lab asked.  
"Um, who's piloting the ship?" Rocky asked, changing the subject.  
"Mawshall and I agreed we all needed rest, so we but wobodog in charge of the helm", he answered, "and when he said all of us need west, that includes you". Rocky sighed nodding.  
"Just.. five more minutes out here Zuma". Zuma nodded and sat next to Rocky, silently staring up at the stars.  
"Jeez, you can see all of them out hewe. Can barely see this many back home", Zuma said, admiring the view.  
"We're miles away from civilisation in all directions. Light pollution blocks our view back home, so we-", Rocky stopped, seeing the glazed look in Zuma's eyes, "um.. Yeah, they are pretty sweet out here".

* * *

"Rocky called him cute", Everest said, watching out the window at the two male pups sat at the bow of the ship.  
"What?" Marshall answered, walking over and joining her.  
"I think he has a crush on him", she continued.  
"What? Zuma and Rocky?" Marshall asked. Sure, it didn't bother him even slightly, the idea of two male pups, but.. Rocky and Zuma? They were so... different to each other. One can't stand water, and the other practically lives in it. Rocky is so, calculated, whilst Zuma is entirely impulsive. "It's not our place to say Everest", Marshall finally said, walking away from the window. "C'mon, we need rest too."  
"He also said you had a crush too". Marshall froze, turning around.  
"Uh... what?"  
"Your crush", she answered, turning away from the window, "and.. if you don't mind me saying.. I'm quite fond of the colour red too". Marshall gulped and blushed.  
"Eh heh heh, um.. Everest, we.. we should be getting some rest". Marshall stuttered, walking away. "In our own rooms", he said, pushing Everest out as she tried to follow.  
"I get it, I get it... we don't want to... rock the boat too much?" Marshall quickly slammed the door as Everest laughed.

* * *

"Zuma... why didn't you tell me about your plan?" Rocky asked. Zuma thought about his response for a while, continuing to look up at the stars. "Didn't you trust me?" Zuma didn't like that. Of course he trusted Rocky.  
"Of course I twust you dude. I wasn't actually gonna tell anyone originally, but Skye was in the woom when I found the signal, and she and I agweed that we shouldn't tell anyone because we didn't know how they'd weact".  
"So how did Rubble get involved?"  
"He found me and Skye in your puphouse with the page. He didn't weally have a choice, either tell Mawshall and rat us out, or join us. Rubble's too caring to just give up on Chase and Wyder like that. He'd always put family before his duties. Just like me, and Skye-"  
"And me" Rocky interrupted. "I'd always put you guys before Adventure Bay. If I'm totally honest with you here Zuma, and you can't tell anyone about this", Zuma nodded, "I think we're too good for the town. I know that sounds so.. vain? Big headed? But c'mon, we rarely get big rescues, we just rescue a chicken from a bell tower, or convince a kid to go to the dentist? I can build machines like the puphouses we drive, or this boat we're on. I helped Ryder develop most of the tech we own, and the machines I have to make include a Peanut launcher? Sometimes.. I feel as if we're wasted on the town, and if they weren't so damn lazy, maybe they could solve their own problems". Zuma sat, looking a little stunned at Rocky's confession.  
"I suppose I feel the same way sometimes too dude," Rocky looked up at Zuma, looking confused. "I mean, how many times do I get called out on wescues? For a town that lives on the edge of the ocean, I don't get a lot of jobs. Obviously, that's a good thing, I wouldn't want more people in danger just for me to feel more useful, but.. sometimes I feel as if I'm not even part of the team, seeing you guys get called out on missions all the time". Rocky felt bad for Zuma. He understood what he was talking about, he too noticed how little Zuma was called out. Almost every mission had Chase, or Marshall or Skye, heck, even he got called out more often than Zuma.  
"Rocky, you're an important member of the team, like everyone, but no-one else can do what you can do?"  
"Can't they? Even you got a lifeguard badge. All of us are lifeguards now, so that's just one last job for me to do I suppose.."  
"Zuma.. yeah, we're all lifeguards, sure. But Adventure Bay is tiny, the ocean is massive. None of us would know what to do if this boat suddenly started to sink", Rocky did his best to cheer up Zuma.  
"If my job is so important, then why can all of you do it too? You don't see Wubble with a firefighter badge, or Chase with a pilot's license, but everyone gets lifeguard badges? Before I joined the Paw Patwol, I felt useless, just jumping between ship to ship. Even now, after joining the Paw Patwol, sometimes I just feel as if I'm not needed anymore. I mean, look at this mess. This was all my fault. I decided to steal the Sea Patwoller. I dragged you guys out here, I even almost sailed right through Mawshall", Zuma began to tear up, "Wocky, If I really am that useful, why do I feel like deadweight?" Zuma said though his soft sobbing.

Rocky couldn't take it anymore and dragged Zuma into a hug, wrapping his forelegs around his legs and pulling his head over his shoulder. "Zuma. No one thinks you're useless, and no one can do your job like you. Sure, we all work as lifeguards now and then, but that isn't replacing you. Plus, what about the Air Patroller? We all have flight packs, but we don't take Skye's job. Zuma, you're not useless, you made this happen, yes, but is that really that bad of a thing?"  
"It is when it almost kills Mawshall!" Zuma said, still sobbing into his friend's fur. Rocky didn't mind the water making his back damp.  
"Zuma, Marshall made the decision to stop in front of the patroller, he took the risks. And from what he's been saying, he would have moved before it hit. He's actually a bit angry at Everest for moving him since now he doesn't have a boat, not to mention I'm gonna have to make him a new one when we get back". Rocky stopped hugging Zuma and looked him in the eyes, his amber eyes meeting Zuma's amber-green. "Because of you, even though it could have been handled better, we're on our way to save Chase and Ryder. If you didn't do this, we'd be in Adventure Bay convincing Marshall to let us go. Thankfully, Everest is quite... 'handy' when it comes to convincing", Rocky said, remembering the several slaps he saw others get that day. "You're not useless, not to me". Zuma wiped his eyes, looking back up at Rocky who put his cap back on his head. "C'mon, you share my room tonight, I don't want you on your own after the things you've said", Rocky said, standing up and began walking back towards the bridge.

The soft sound of snoring filled the lower deck of the ship. The waves outside gently rocking the boat whilst Robodog kept them on the path to Chase and Ryder throughout the night.

* * *

 _8:37am - 2 days after crash_

Marshall was the first to leave his room. He leaned forward, stretching his legs out and yawning, his eyes adjusting to the artificial light of the cabin, the rest of his body fighting to go back to sleep. Slowly he trudged himself down the corridor past the rest of the pup's rooms. He stopped for a second, looking at the blue door with Chase's badge on. He continued walking slowly towards the bathroom at the end of the hall. He just reached the door before hearing a hissing sound behind him and seeing Rocky's door open. "Morning *yawn*.. Rocky", Marshall said, turning back towards the bathroom, "wait... Zuma?" Marshall spun back around.  
"Morning Mawshall"  
"What're you doing in Rocky's room?" He asked, remembering the short and very quickly ended discussion between himself and Everest the night before.  
"I... I was a bit upset last night, and Rocky offered to let me sleep in his room". Marshall raised an eyebrow, before hearing another door open, this time, a blank door designed for guests. A familiar husky walked out into the hallway.  
"Oh.. aha, see Marshall, looks like someone else rocked the boat for us!" She laughed, grinning.  
"Shut up guys, it wasn't like that" Rocky said walking out from behind Zuma.  
"Hey, don't look at me Rocky. I didn't suggest anything, that was all her!" Marshall said, pointing at Everest, who was still laughing.  
"Zuma just felt... bad. So I let him sleep in here".  
"Yeah, 'sleep'. Sure Rocky", Everest said before being slapped on the nose by Skye.  
"None of our business, couldn't care less. Is the bathroom free?" Skye asked, walking past Everest.  
"Um, well actually I was- ugh ladies first I guess" Marshall sighed, Zuma laughed.

"So.. Rocky?" Rocky turned his head towards Everest, who sat down taking her place in the queue, "you told him yet?" Rocky's face turned red.  
"Um.. yes?"  
"Oh, so you wouldn't mind if I asked him then?" Everest said, about to stand up to walk to Zuma.  
"No!" Rocky shouted, all the pups turned to look at him. "Um... sorry, just remembered I didn't close up my puphouse, it's gonna be soaked when we get home, heh heh", he said, quickly making an excuse for his outburst. The others just shrugged and resumed their own conversations. Rocky grabbed Everest quickly and threw her into the nearest room. "Listen here.. I know you think I should tell him, but he's got enough on his plate without having to know that his friend wants to be.. more than a friend", Rocky explained, some anger in his voice. "You go telling him, or anyone else, and it won't just be Ryder and Chase who need rescuing, got it?" Everest just sat and nodded.  
"Um.. guys" A light turned on, and Rocky looked at his surroundings in a yellow room.  
"Oh.. crap".  
"Oh my god" Everest kept laughing.  
"Rocky?" Rocky looked down at Rubble who took off his sleeping mask. "Zuma?" Rocky nodded, "I mean, dude that's cool, I'm not gonna tell anyone". Rocky thanked Rubble and took Everest by the collar and left back into the corridor, soon followed by Rubble.

"Ugh, I hate queues. And if Skye's in there, we have ages. Lets go get some food", Rubble said turning to the other end of the corridor and headed towards the onboard kitchen.

* * *

 _9:30am - 2 Days after crash_

Five of the pups sat on the floor, enjoying their breakfast. Rocky sat close to Zuma, before slowly moving slightly away when he caught Everest looking at him and mouthing "tell him". He just stared back angrily. "Why does Skye take so long?" Marshall said, pacing. Skye entered the kitchen, causing Marshall to run out of the door after he walked past muttering something. The rest of the pups laughed.

"So, what's everyone up to today?" Skye asked, looking at the circle of pups eating their breakfasts. Rocky looked up and swallowed,  
"not much to do really is there? On a boat, middle of the ocean, Ryder didn't exactly expect us to be on voyages this long". He sat next to Skye, who at this point was looking out of the porthole on the wall at the expanse of sea, being lit by a low morning sun. "So what's up with you then?" Rocky asked. Skye nervously shifted,  
"nothing much. Just don't like being out at sea this long", she said, nervously giggling.  
"Skye, out of everyone on this boat, don't you think I'd be the one who'd be uncomfortable being this far away from land?" Rocky's point made sense, and Skye knew it.  
"Alright fine. I'm worried or Chase and Ryder," she said, slumping down onto the ground, "they've been stuck out here for 2 days, Chase is hurt, they don't have any food, water or first aid stuff. What if something else happens before we get there? What if Chase got hurt more?" Rocky sighed, "oh sorry, are my concerns boring you Rocky?"  
"No Skye, but this is Chase and Ryder. Ryder is too smart to let anything else happen. And Chase knows what he's doing too. You can't worry on what ifs, you should only focus on what is. Something I heard Farmer Yumi say a few months back". Skye nodded,  
"I suppose".

" _Pups we have an emergency"  
"_Marshall, I'm not unblocking that toilet again".  
" _No Rocky, I mean an actual emergency, meet me on the bridge"._ The pup's puptags turned off as Marshall finished speaking, the others stopped eating and walked out of the room, Rocky and Skye followed and headed up the stairs.

"Ok guys, I know our mission is Ryder and Chase, and believe me, that's still our priority, but there's a small passenger ship nearby that's been struck by another boat and is taking on water. We need to move them safely onboard whilst Rocky patches the hull."  
"Me? In the water? C'mon Marshall?" Rocky said, looking at Marshall, who simply gave him a very authoritative stare. "Uh, fine".  
"Zuma. I need you and your hovercraft to ferry the passengers across to our ship in the meantime. Rubble, you do the same. Everest, you stay onboard and keep people under control. Skye and I will board the other ship and direct people onto Zuma and Rubble's-"  
"Um, Mawshall?" Zuma interrupted Marshall, who stopped to see what the lab wanted, "would it be okay with you if I dived down with Wocky. He hasn't dived this far out into the ocean, the cuwwents are much stwonger and I think it'd be safer for him if he didn't go alone". Marshall thought about this for a second,  
"Good idea Zuma. Skye, you help Rubble ferry everyone across instead. OK guys, Paw Patrol is on a roll!"

Rubble headed under the deck to get onboard his boat, whilst Skye headed out onto the top deck and took Zuma's hovercraft.* It took her a few seconds to get used to driving something that didn't go upwards, but she soon drove off the side of the deck and onto the water, Rubble launching out the front of the ship to join her. Marshall jumped onto the back of Rubble's rig and headed out towards the sinking ship.

Meanwhile, Zuma and Rocky were gearing up under the deck. Rocky hated wearing wetsuits, they were too tight on everything and made his fur itch, but Zuma wore his practically all the time. Zuma rigged Rocky's rebreather into place onto his pup-pack. "So what's the actual reason you're coming with me?" Rocky asked as he walked towards the edge of the water.  
"Because what I said was twue. Dude, cuwwents this far out could rip small boats apawt. I don't want you heading in there without someone to watch you", Rocky gulped, "plus, I haven't had a bath in a few days. Still better than you though!", Zuma said before diving headfirst into the water. "Hey!" Rocky yelled, diving in after.

Zuma's lights lit up the hull of the damaged ship, showing a large tear along the side. Rocky looked at it whilst thinking to himself. " _He really wasn't kidding about these currents",_ Rocky fought against the strong forces of water pushing him around like a bathtoy. He kept his focus on Zuma, who was effortlessly gliding around the boat looking for any more problems. Rocky began to weld the side of the ship, using his pincer arm to bend the metal back into place before sealing it. As he was welding, a strong current pushed the mixed breed towards the boat. His paw ran along the edge of the tear, slicing through his fur and into his skin. The cut wasn't very deep, Rocky just looked at it and shrugged it off. Zuma came back around from the end of the ship, seeing that Rocky was almost done, but stopping seeing a crimson liquid float around in a cloud around Rocky. Rocky looked over and waved a paw, showing Zuma where the blood was coming from. Zuma shook his head and pointed towards the surface. Rocky looks confused but Zuma simply swam behind him and pushed him up to the surface with him, they both breach the waves and pull their rebreathers out of their mouths. "What gives Zuma? I'm almost done!"  
"You go get that looked at and stitched. A cut from wusty metal can get bad. I'll finish fixing the hull". Zuma explained, a small tone of concern audible in his voice above the sound of engines and waves around them.  
"It's just a small cut, come on Zuma, there isn't even that much left to fix", Rocky argued. Zuma sighed,  
"Marshall", Zuma spoke into his tag.  
" _What's up Zuma?"_ Marshall responded,  
"Wocky cut himself on the hole underwater, I think he should go and get it sorted, but he won't listen to me", Rocky just looked at him, jaw agape, stuttering. His puptag lit up,  
"Rocky, it's Marshall. Go back on the Sea Patroller, I'll come have a look at that cut when I'm done out here",  
"But Marsh-"  
"Rocky, the safety of the team is too important to argue over. Trade packs with Zuma and go sit in the first aid room. Wash the cut with clean water until I get there". Rocky sighed as he and Zuma climbed out of the water and took their gear off. Zuma put Rocky's pack on. "Sowwy dude, but I've seen some pretty nasty things happen to cuts at sea. Wather safe than sowwy".  
"Yeah yeah, I get it. Just be careful. Use the pincers to pull the metal together and then weld it shut. Don't look at the welding light". Zuma nodded and dived back into the water. Rocky began to walk to the first aid room at the back of the bridge. He sat with the door open, watching the monitor on the wall as he washed his wound out with water, wincing at the stinging feeling. Each of the pup's tags were shown on the screen, including Everest's. Tracker's tag was also shown, but it was greyed out and darker than the rest.

* * *

 _8 minutes later_

"How many more passengers have we got to shift?" Rubble asked? Skye looked up at the deck of the ship,  
"six at most. You take three, I'll take the other three", Rubble nodded as he and Skye sailed up to the side of the sinking boat again.  
"Watch your step. Careful, that's it!" Marshall directed the last few people onto the rigs below the edge of the deck. "Ok guys! That's everyone!" Marshall said before jumping onto the roof of Rubble's rig. The three began to sail to the side of the Sea Patroller, but stopped suddenly as something dove off of the side of the deck. "Rocky?" Skye, Rubble, Everest and Marshall all said in unison as Rocky threw himself into the water wearing Zuma's gear.

* * *

 _6 minutes earlier_

Rocky turned the tap off, looking at the cut on his paw. It was a bit deeper than he thought, "that's gonna need stitching. Oh joy", Rocky said, leaning back on his chair, keeping his paw over the sink. Suddenly, his ears flattened against his head at the sound of a loud beeping coming from all of the monitors on the top deck. Rocky looked up at the one closest to him. He didn't see anything strange, all of the tags were still lit, (tracker's being the exception of course). But then he saw it. Zuma's tag was flashing between a red shield and the normal icon, beneath it read "SOS". Rocky slammed the door open fully and sprinted down the stairs back into the lower decks. He scrambled as he fell over from the pain of running on his injured paw. Quickly, he put Zuma's kit on and ran back to the top deck, his normally rational brain, that took time to calculate the best solution to situations, was thrown into a completely different mode for Rocky; he ran off of impulse.

He blazed past Everest at a speed that would make Marshall jealous, and threw himself off of the railing. He heard the rest of his team shout out his name in confusion before splashing hard into the surface of the water, the freezing feeling enveloping him again. He shook off his fear of water and swam back towards the sinking ship. Automatically, the light's in Zuma's pack extended out, lighting up the sight before him. The water had turned a cloudy red colour, and through the murk, he could see a figure with a blinking red light around it's neck.

Meanwhile, back up on the deck, Marshall was putting his diving gear on. Just as he finished zipping up his suit, he heard the sound of wet fur slap against the deck, then Rocky. "Marshall! Get over here, fast!" Marshall sprinted to the rear of the ship to the ladders, but stopping quickly looking at the sight before him. "Skye, I need all of my medical kit now! Rubble, Everest, help me move him to the first aid room. Rocky, I know you're gonna hate this, but that ship isn't patched up yet, please, I-" Rocky doesn't argue, he takes his pack from Zuma and quickly swims away.

Rubble and Everest come around to the back of the ship and see the situation, they both gasp, but Marshall urges they move quickly. Zuma laid on the deck of the ship, one large gash across his side, from his front right shoulder all the way to his tail, ruby liquid mixing with the water on the deck and running off the side, contrasting starkly with the white floor. Marshall checked his vitals, and found he was still alive, breathing but not very well. Everest and Marshall hoisted him onto a stretcher brought round by Rubble and headed indoors quickly. Skye stayed outside, keeping an eye on the sinking ship and attempting to keep everyone else calm, whilst trying to do the same with herself.

* * *

Rocky threw himself back onto the deck, the hull of the other ship sealed. He panted, gasping for air, his legs feeling weak. He laid there for a moment, before remembering.  
"Zuma!" Rocky rushed inside, heading up to the first aid room, about to burst through the door before behind held back by Rubble and Everest. "Hey, hey. Marshall said he's probably gonna be fine, but we have to let him stitch him up first", Rubble said,  
"He's right Rocky. The cut wasn't as deep as he thought, but it cut through the air lines to his tank. If you didn't pull him out soon enough, he would have drowned for sure", Rocky winced at Everest's last words.  
"I'm gonna go help Skye with whatever is going on out there", she said. "You two gonna be ok?" Rubble and Rocky nodded as she headed off through the door.  
"The way you jumped off the boat was awesome Rocky!" Rocky looked at himself, he was dripping wet and stank of sea water, and also, sort of pink. The amount of blood left in the water had mixed in with the sea water on his fur. "Though, you should probably go and wash that out", Rocky nodded before heading off to the shower.

* * *

 _13:12pm -2 Days after crash_

Marshall walked out of the first aid room to be greeted by a triage of worried faces. He admired the worry his teammates showed each other, it showed they were more than just a team, they were a family. "Well? Is he OK?" Rocky asked, breaking the silence. Marshall noticed something odd about him, not just the fact that he had his paw raised above the ground as it still slowly dripped blood onto the floor, but also, out of all of them, he seemed the most worried. Perhaps it was because it was Rocky who saved him?  
"Zuma's gonna be fine. Out of action for a few days for sure, but that shouldn't be an issue, lets hope we don't have anymore rescues," Marshall answered, causing a huge wave of relief to wash over the room, none more relieved than Rocky. "Skye, what's the situation with the other boat?" Marshall asked,  
"all of the passengers are back onboard their ship. Everest and I helped pump the water out of their hull. They're sailing to the nearest port to get proper repairs", Skye answered.  
"Good, well, I suppose everyone can just go about their business then. Except Rocky, you come with me and I'll sort out that paw". Rocky nodded and followed Marshall into the first aid room, the rest of the pups walked away back downstairs.

Rocky pushed the white door open, the clinical smell hitting him right in the face as he walked through, that, and the smell of blood. He looked over at the bed in the corner and saw Zuma, laid out on his side wrapped up in bandages that were already seeping with scarlet liquids. "Like I said, he's gonna be fine Rocky. C'mon, sit over here". Rocky turned his head, walking over to Marshall who had his equipment out on the counter.  
"So, do you know what happened?" Rocky asked as Marshall began to clean his wound, causing him to hiss slightly at the pain.  
"When he stabilised, Zuma woke up. He was in a lot of pain so I put him back under sedation as quickly as I could. He didn't like it, but no one really does", Marshall answered, "so until he comes to again, none of us will know how he got hurt". Marshall went silent as he concentrated, "now don't move and it won't hurt as much". The needle glided through his skin and pulled the wound closed, Rocky watched both fascinated and grossed out at the same time. Marshall may seem daft and careless, but he really was a talented medic, a talented firepup and a talented leader, despite some flaws so far.

"Marshall?" Rocky asked, breaking the tension in the room,  
"hmm?" Marshall responded, holding a pair of suture scissors in his mouth.  
"If you were already a firepup, which is a huge and dangerous role in itself, what made you want to be a paramedic too?" Rocky asked. Marshall actually had to think about his answer, no one in his team had really asked that other than Ryder. He finished suturing Rocky's paw and wrapped a bandage around it slowly.  
"My job as a firepup is dangerous, to me and everyone involved. One day, I was called out to a rescue at Farmer Al and Yumi's barn. After a storm, an electrical pole had fallen through their barn and ignited the straw and feed inside", Rocky sat and listened intently. "Obviously, I was called out to deal with the fire, but Chase was brought with me too, in order to help move the animals away. At one point, I was extinguishing the fire but realised I would have to get closer to it to reach the heart, so I backed my truck up slowly. Whilst putting it out, I saw two sheep at the back of the barn. I told Ryder, who said to put the fire out around the animals as priority and he and Chase will move in to rescue them. So I did. I began to douse the flames at the back of the barn. Ryder ran in and quickly came out with one of the sheep on his shoulders. Chase tried to do the same, but the sheep was too heavy for him, I didn't know until I heard possibly the worst screaming in my life, I aimed my hose directly around him and ran in with Ryder. He carried the sheep out and I carried out Chase. I don't want to describe how he looked completely, because honestly I'd rather forget, but his breaths were very shallow, parts of his fur were singed off and showed red, burnt skin underneath, in fact, if you look at Chase's stomach, there is a patch of fur that never grew back". Rocky could see Marshall was pained by this memory,  
"I get it Marshall, you don't have to keep going".  
"Nah I'm good. If this didn't happen, I wouldn't have been able to fix your paw, or patch up Zuma. Anyways, Ryder called an ambulance, and whilst we waited the 20 minutes for it to get to the barn, Yumi and Al were doing all they could to help Chase. I continued to put out the barn fire, but I couldn't help thinking that we needed someone on the team who could deal with this stuff, at least until the ambulances arrive. I never wanted to see anyone, especially my team, my family, looking like that again, I wanted to be able to help out if it happened again. So, I asked Ryder if I could be an EMT pup. At first, he was... concerned, EMTs see a lot of gruesome things, and he's right. I've seen much worse than Chase was that day, but in the end, he sent me to train for a few weeks in Adventure Bay's hospital". Marshall finished, taking a breath. He looked down at Rocky's paw and saw that whilst he was talking, he had wrapped it up with more than enough bandages. "Oh.. heh heh, sorry Rocky", he apologised as he began to unwrap his paw again, stopping halfway and cutting the bandage, before pinning it in place. "You only need to keep that on for today and tonight, I'll take it off tomorrow".  
"Thank you Marshall. You're brilliant." Rocky said, before standing up and walking out through the door, but stopping hearing a familiar sound. He and Marshall turned around to see Zuma moving about in his bed.

"Woah Zuma, careful", Marshall said, running over and sitting next to him.  
"Mawsh- ow! What the?" Zuma looked at his side, seeing bandages wrapped all the way around his chest and stomach. "Jeez Mawshall, don't you think that's a bit much?" He said, laughing lightly.  
"Actually Zuma, I think for once he got it right. The cut on your side was huge". Zuma looked up and saw Rocky sat at the top of the bed.  
"Oh, hey Wocky. You smell good", Zuma said, giggling again. Rocky sniffed his leg and looked up at Marshall, shrugging.  
"It's the sedation. Give it an hour or so, it'll wear off. But in the meantime, he's gonna say some weird stuff".  
"Mawshall! Heyyy.. Are you white with black spots, or does the white cover all the black underneath? Oooohh, your spots look like smoke clouds! And you're a firepup!" Zuma laughed heavily again, Marshall just looked up at Rocky.  
"Point taken", he responded. Marshall looked at his spots, they did indeed look like clouds of smoke, he shrugged, then looked at his paws, stained pink from the amount of blood they had been in contact with.  
"You.. uh.. You should go get cleaned up Marshall. I'll watch Mr Giggles over here", Rocky said, tilting his head at Zuma who was looking at them both.  
"I can't let you do that Rocky, you've done so much today",  
"Yeah, and so have you, now go get a shower, you look like something out of a horror movie". Marshall sighed and nodded.  
"Come and get me if something happens", he said, walking towards the door.  
"Duh", Rocky replied.

* * *

 _10 minutes later_

Rocky looked at the first aid room, he had just finished mopping up the various red puddles left on the floor by both himself and Zuma. It's the least he could do after all the things Marshall just did for the two of them. "Hey, Wocky. Why are you cleaning?" Zuma asked. Rocky was thankful at least that the sedative's loopy part had worn off, he was just a bit airheaded now.  
"Because you and I covered the floor in blood Zuma. It would be rude to let Marshall do it just after he saved your life and fixed my paw". Zuma nodded,  
"Suppose it would be". Rocky walked over to the counters, putting various bottles back in place. After a few minutes, Rocky turned and sat next to Zuma.  
"So, do you know what happened? Why you ended up practically dead underwater?" Rocky asked.  
"Jeez, was I that bad?" Zuma responded, a little shocked.  
"Your collar was blinking red; SOS mode Ryder calls it. It's a feature that I suggested we add to the puptags after Skye crashed in the snow.** Basically, your puptag saw that your heartbeat was slow, and you couldn't breathe. I never ran so fast in my life".  
"Wait, you're the one who saved me?"  
"Uh.. yeah.. I guess?" Rocky answered, "everyone else was busy or too far away. I jumped in, swam to you and brought you back onto the deck, Marshall did the r-" Rocky was cut off as Zuma leaned over and hugged him. Rocky was surprised, but hugged back.  
"Thanks dude".  
"Anyways.." Rocky said, pushing himself off of Zuma, feeling awkward, "you still didn't answer my question; how did you get cut up so badly?" He asked, tilting his head. Zuma laid back on his side.  
"Cuwwents", was his answer, "I was welding the ship back together like you told me to. I was doing a pretty decent job as well, until I felt a sudden surge of water behind me. I tried to fight against it, but your pup-pack wasn't as powerful as mine was for moving underwater, so when I fought against it, instead, it just slid me along the side of the boat, wight along the side of the bwoken part. After that, I don't wemember what happened, just a lot of wed, and then black I suppose". Rocky shuddered at the thought of being alone underwater. It was one of his biggest nightmares, stuck under the waves and not being able to get back up, and Zuma had basically just lived it, but even worse.

"Well it's a good thing Ryder made that upgrade then I guess", Rocky said walking back over to the counters and continued cleaning.  
"Wocky, dude, haven't you done enough cleaning?" Zuma joked.  
"I wish Zuma. Apparently the toilet is blocked and I'm the 'only one' who knows how to fix it", he sighed, Zuma just laughed.  
"That's gwoss dude. I'd say just go in the ocean".  
"What and that isn't?"  
"Well I don't mind doing it from time to time" Zuma said before laughing,  
"Oh great, another reason to avoid water", Rocky responded, laughing along with him.

* * *

Marshall stepped into the living area on the lower deck, shaking the last bit of water from his fur. Everest, Rubble and Skye looked at him and waved him over. They were playing a card game, Marshall wasn't very good at that. "I'll sit this one out guys, been a busy day".  
"Fair enough", Everest said, "hey, where's Rocky?" She asked, noticing that the mixed breed hadn't followed him downstairs.  
"Zuma woke up and Rocky volunteered to give him some company whilst I went for a shower". Everest and Rubble looked at each other, both shared a mischievous look in their eyes.  
"You left Rocky.. and Zuma alone in the first aid room?" Rubble asked.  
"Yeah?" Marshall responded, "why?" Skye too was curious at Rubble's odd question.  
"Oh, nothing, I just think Rubble might be concerned that the two might be playing Doctors and Nurses by now" Everest said, causing both Rubble and herself to laugh out loud. Skye and Marshall just looked at each other shocked. Skye hit Everest and Rubble on the head.  
"Ow"  
"Hey what gives?"  
"Zuma and Rocky have been through enough today, they're just chatting", Marshall said, but even part of him had his suspicions. _"Nah"_ , he thought to himself.

* * *

 _8:25pm - 2 Days after crash_

Once more, nighttime fell across the rough ocean, the clear, calm skies a direct parody to the harsh waves beneath, which held the sea patroller on the surface. Inside, one of the pups had began to walk about. Zuma's breaths were shallow and sometimes laboured as he moved around the bridge. Every few moments, he'd sit down to hold his side, hissing through clenched teeth at the pain underneath. The sedative had worn off completely by now, and he was thankful for that. He had said enough weird things to Rocky already. He looked back at the first aid room, seeing Rocky curled up at the end of the bed he had been lying in all day. He approached the captains chair and climbed up, getting a good view of the malevolent sea they were sailing. To his left, he could see Robodog, who had been expertly sailing them towards Ryder and Chase for over 24 hours. Zuma considered letting the dog rest, but remembered that Ryder had once said that Robodog wasn't like them, he wouldn't need rest as long as he was charging, and upon further inspection, he saw that Robodog was indeed charging.

His ears perked up at the sound of familiar laughter, and something else. He knew there was no point being on the bridge alone, and his friends were probably worried for him, so he decided to go and join them. Slowly, he climbed down from the seat and headed towards the staircase, seeing that the door to the first aid room was open. He shrugged and kept walking. He couldn't walk very fast, and kept stopping for breaths, well, not just to catch his breath. Zuma felt like he was being followed. Carefully, he stood back up and began walking slowly, lifting his ears and hearing soft footsteps behind him. He quickly spun around, "Aha, I knew someone was following me!" He said, before clutching his side again and stumbling. Rocky stood forward, catching Zuma before he fell.  
"I wasn't following I was..." Rocky tried to think of an excuse, but saw the look in Zuma's eyes. "Ok, ok, I was following you". Zuma rolled his eyes,  
"dude, why are you following me like some cweepy dude in the shadows?" He said, turning back around and continuing to walk towards the living area. Rocky just shrugged. "Dunno, but you clearly aren't fit to be wandering about on your own anyways".  
"I appweciate the concern, but-" Zuma inhaled sharply, grasping at his side as he fell down onto his chest, "yeah yeah, you have a point ok", Zuma said before stumbling back onto his paws. Rocky laughed as he stood next to Zuma, supporting his weight with his own. They both reached the end of the corridor together, but just before Zuma pushed the door open, Rocky stops him.  
"What?" Zuma asked, before Rocky places a paw on his mouth.  
"Listen, I heard my name", Rocky said, curious to what the others were saying, he and Zuma pressed their ears against the door.

"I can't believe Rocky, out of all of us, was the one to dive into the ocean. I mean, Ryder struggles getting him in the bath!", Marshall said, the others chuckling at the mental image of Rocky avoiding his baths, "but at least he knows when he needs one!" Marshall continued, before gesturing to Everest, who just looked blankly at the other three, before sniffing her fur.  
"What, I had a shower earlier, I can't smell that bad can I?"  
"I think Marshall is talking about that time with the skunk, Everest", Skye said. Marshall nodded. Everest remembered that, and the confusion she had as all of the pups tried to avoid her.***  
"You were so focused on them berries I couldn't stop sneezing for ages", Marshall said, laughing.  
"What can I say, Jake really likes those berries!" Everest said smiling.  
"Rocky looked so cool when he jumped over, and then swam back up with Zuma! He looked like a real life super hero!" Rubble said, grinning. Zuma looked up at Rocky who was just blushing lightly. "Suppose he really does care for him", Everest said. Rocky's blushing face changed to one of mild horror, stepping back from the door.  
"What do you mean Everest?" Skye asked?  
"Oh not this again", Marshall said rolling his eyes.  
"What?" Skye asked.  
"Well Everest and I were on the bridge last night, and we were watching Zuma and Rocky out on the bow", Rocky looked at Zuma, who looked just as confused. "She said that Rocky called Zuma 'cute'". Zuma just stared at Rocky who was walking backwards away from the door chuckling nervously,  
"aaaand I think it's time I went to bed night Zuma get well soon and all that bye", Rocky said quickly, but just as he tried to turn, Zuma grabbed his collar and pulled him to the floor. Rocky just stared at him.  
"We're still listening to this, I wanna know where it goes", Zuma said, smiling.

"Everest! You promised you woul- oh. Oh no what have I done?!" Rubble said, burying his face into his pillow. Skye and Marshall just looked at Everest, jaws totally agape.  
"After Marshall began chasing after the Sea Patroller yesterday, Rocky and I started unhooking his and Chase's boats. He started to say stuff about Skye and Rubble, and Zuma. He talked about Zuma twice actually. The second time, he said he was.. well, cute! I tried to get him to confess, but he just changed the subject quickly. Which really just did a better job at confirming my suspicions". Marshall and Skye just looked at each other, and then Skye grabbed Rubble's collar and dragged him out of the cushions.  
"And how did you find out?" Skye asked, Rubble shook his head.  
"I didn't find anything out, what are you talking about?" Skye just looked blankly at him, rolling her eyes. "Oh.. fine. This morning, Everest and Rocky woke me up, quite.. abruptly. I don't think they realised that they were in my room. Anyways, I heard everything they said and I promised Rocky I wouldn't tell a soul. Looks like that promise lasted all of what.. 12 hours?"

Zuma looked at Rocky, who at this point just covered his face with his hat. "I'm sorry Zuma", he said before trying to walk off again.  
"Is what they're saying.. weal? Wocky, just tell me, I mean at this point the whole team knows", Rocky just silently nodded. Zuma was shocked to say the least. "Dude, why me?"  
"Why not you?" Rocky burst out, tears in his eyes. "Zuma, you're just so happy all the time, you never seem scared of doing anything, heck, when we had to convince Alex to go to the dentist, you're the only one who didn't have to do anything",  
"not twue dude, I hate doctors. Don't tell Marshall",  
"See! No matter what the situation, you always seem so laid back. You're kind, you're optimistic and... sorta hot". Zuma blushed at the last bit. "But why just me? I mean, I'm not the only guy on the team. Chase is cute, Marshall is happy all the time an-"  
"I don't care about them, they have their crushes, they're so obvious. And none of them are on me".  
"Means you're all mine then", Zuma said, Rocky just looked up before being pulled into a hug. "Y'know, for being the smartest one out of all of us, you didn't think this thwough vewy well". Zuma said, licking Rocky's face. The door slid open, behind it, Marshall and Skye stood still looking shocked. Marshall just stood smiling, whilst Skye ran over and hugged them both, giggling. Everest walked towards Rocky, who just shot her a glare, which caused her to turn around quickly laughing.

"C'mon lovebirds, we're just about to start another round of cards. You in?" Skye asked,  
"Sure"  
"Totally".

* * *

 _1 Hour Later_

Rocky was smart enough to easily beat all of the pups, multiple times. Surprisingly, to everyone, the only pup who came close to beating him was Rubble. At the end of the final game, Rubble stood up, stretching and yawning. "It's been a long day, I'm gonna go to bed". He said, walking towards the door. Skye stood up and did the same, followed by Zuma and Rocky.  
"You two keep it down tonight!" Everest said, Rocky turned around rolling his eyes and walked to her, playfully slapping her on the back of the head. "Hey hey, Rocky, save it for the bedroom!" She said, winking and laughing more as she watched the two leave the room. Marshall just looked at her.  
"Do you ever stop?" Marshall asked. Everest slowly stopped laughing, smiling at Marshall.  
"When I want to", she responded, sticking her tongue out. Marshall did the same back, giggling. They both watched as the other pups said goodnight, and watched as Zuma and Rocky entered Zuma's room. She nudged Marshall, before whispering something in his ear.  
"You want me to do what?!" Marshall yelled, standing up and walking towards the door.  
"C'mon Marshall, Rocky told me about your 'secret' crush ages ago. And you don't do a great job at hiding it". Marshall just blushed,  
"I.. um... I should go and check on Zuma and Rocky's bandages, 'night Everest". Marshall ran through the door, startling Skye who stood on the other side.  
"Does everyone round here eavesdrop?" Everest asked, sighing?"  
"Ev, you gotta give him time. It's Marshall. He's too... well.. Marshall to think about dating and such. But he always does what's right in the end. Plus, everyone, even Ryder and Katie know that he's got a massive crush on you, and he's never denied it. C'mon, Rubble was right, it's been a really, really long day". Skye began to walk out followed by Everest.

They reached the bedrooms, Skye gave Everest a hug before heading into her own room. Everest headed to the unmarked dorm she was put in for the journey, looking over as Marshall walked out of Zuma's room. She waved at him as his door opened. He blushed heavily and stepped inside, tripping on the doorframe. She smiled, "yeah ok, he's worth waiting for I suppose.." She closed her door behind her.

All of the pups fell asleep quickly after the stressful day they had just finished. The sound of rough ocean rocked the boat and its inhabitants to sleep, but also drowned out another noise coming from the bridge.

* * *

* _They loaded Zuma, Skye and Rubble's normal rigs when they stole the Sea Patroller, hence why Zuma's normal hovercraft is available.  
** The Episode "Pups Save Skye".  
***The Episode "Pups Get Skunked". In which Everest is sprayed by a skunk, causing all of the pups, especially Marshall, to react badly._

 **WELL THAT ENDED UP LONGER THAN I WANTED. Officially the longest chapter of this story so far according to the word count. (I don't include all this stuff in bold when counting the words, just the story).**

 _ **Review Responses;**_

 _ **Zuma Lover: I'd be happy to hear them, but I cannot respond directly to you because you aren't signed into with an actual account, and I'd rather not have the plot to your idea in a review because then people would know what the story would be if I chose to write it. If you'd like to discuss ideas, I'd make an account and PM me.**_

 _ **Chase: Glad to hear it dude. Thanks for sticking with me this long.**_

 _ **Sub Officer Gues: I can guarantee any of the jobs the pups do in the series will be harder in real life. Of course they'd make it look easier and they won't give any of them really dangerous situations like a huge building fire or armed robbery or something like that because it'd be too intense for the younger audience that the show is aimed for. Your job sounds really difficult, not one I could do for sure. And I agree, most of the jobs the pups are put on are pretty stupid.**_

* * *

 **Look, I know what some of you are gonna say, "this story said it wasn't gonna be about romance". Well, it's not. But I was genuinely running out of things to do, so I wanted one of the pups to get hurt (call me sadistic), to try and build some kind of tension. (Zuma's injury will cause problems in later chapters, so it wasn't just a plot device for him and Rocky). I had Zuma get hurt, and Rocky to save him because it shows how much Rocky cares for him. As I wrote it, it just became a romantic thing. I suck at it, but I introduced the idea of Rocky being into Zuma in the previous chapter and it's too late to stop it now.**

 **I'm not gonna take the Marshall and Everest thing any further, as I don't want there to be too much of a focus on romantic relationships in this story, and from this point, it will focus more on Marshall. (Apart from an upcoming Chase and Ryder focused chapter, probably next). Same goes for Skye hinting at her interest to Chase. Might crop up once or twice more, but it's not a massive plot point.**

 **Some people might view this chapter as filler, but I wanted something dramatic to happen to the team whilst they were out at sea, which gives me something to work with in future chapters from Marshall's POV, after all, this story was originally made to be about him, and I sorta just wandered off on a different storyline. Sorry if you didn't enjoy it, I'm not 100% on this one either, but I'm gonna upload it anyways. I've sorta hit that infamous writing block stage, so bear with me whilst I do my best to work around it.**

 **I've been discussing some potential next stories after this one with Rescue Wolf, and I have one or two ideas in mind for now. But after writing this, I am not sure how long it'd take before that showed up. I think it was Entity of Spite who I recently commented on and I think I'm gonna take his tactic of writing at least 4 or 5 chapters in advance so there are always chapters to be posted. But not with this story, it's a bit late to do that now as I don't think there will be many more after this one anyways. (I am estimating 4 more chapters now).**

* * *

 **Also, I've had a few questions sent to me, and I'd prefer to answer them on here so everyone can see. (Also will be put into my profile desc.)**

 _ **What version of Paw Patrol do you watch?:  
**_ Now this is a good question, and I'd like to clarify that I HATE the voice acting in the 'British' aired version. I don't get why they need a dub. Chase sounds like he's 20 or something, so does Rubble. Plus, they all have that stereotypical posh British accent. So, I wait for the American versions to air because their voices fit the characters much better. (By the way, I'm from the UK). For anyone who doesn't get what I'm talking about, I implore you to go listen to Chase's voice actor in the British version.

 _ **Favourite pup?:  
**_ Not sure I actually have one. Somewhere between Rocky and Marshall I guess?

 _ **Favourite Episode?:  
**_ Considering the show has over a hundred episodes, I can't exactly just have one, but if I had to choose from a few, I'd say that Marshall Home Alone is one of my favourites as it puts Marshall into situations that he would usually not handle otherwise, and also makes him face his fear of flying. Same could go for the Pups save a baby octopus episode, when Rocky has to go in the water. Overall though, any of the Sea Patrol, Mission Paw, Air Pups or the new Ultimate Rescue episodes are my favourites. (I can stand Sweetie's voice actor, and the other Barkingburg characters, because they're meant to be posh).

 ** _Least Favourite Episode  
_** The dream episodes, and the alien episodes. I know its a show about cartoon dogs that talk and drive cars/boats/helicopters, and there is some wiggle room for random things, but the dreamscape episodes are just daft. They always start and end the same way, with one of the pups, so far either Rubble or Marshall, (and for some reason, Tracker?), falling asleep for some inane reason, and then waking up after the episode is over and thinking it was all real. And the situations just aren't realistic. Once again, aimed for kids, I know, but dinosaurs in Adventure Bay? The only one I can live with is Pups Save a Tiny Marshall, as Ryder and Rocky invent a shrink ray, and whilst this isn't realistic, it at least fits with the show.  
Aaaand then there's the alien episodes. I actually cannot bring myself to watch these. I've watched about 3 minutes of the first one, and I hate it. The alien sounds obnoxious, and the pups interacting with it is equally so. So, I'm not ever gonna mention them again.

 _ **Favourite HUMAN character:  
**_ Honestly, the go to for this answer would be Ryder, because.. well it's Ryder. The show confirmed he's an absolute genius, part of me likes to think that he made the Lookout too. (I'd love some backstory episodes like we got for Rubble on Ryder and the others). But aside from Ryder, It's actually a tie between Mayor Goodway and Jake. Jake is pretty badass, snowboarding down the side of a cliff, and sometimes, Mayor Goodway genuinely makes me smile. Her earlier antics in the series back in the first few seasons were somewhat... pathetic, but they've improved her and actually made her helpful.

 _ **Least Favourite Character:  
**_ Wow. For a show about colourful, likeable characters, you sure do end up hating a lot of them. Alex. Thick as shit, always doing stupid stuff. Mayor Humdinger. I get they needed an antagonist, but some of this shit he's pulled is worth jailtime, I'm surprised Chase does't lock him up. Dude stole royalty in that Ultimate Rescue episode. Finally, Daring Danny X. Danny is just so... hateable in everyway. Almost every situation he gets himself into is through sheer stupidity, not to mention the dick stole the Paw Patroller and plowed it straight into the ocean. Surprised Ryder even talks to him after that, he just doesn't listen to a word Ryder or the Pups say.

 _ **Things I wanna see more of in the show:  
**_ God, wow, this is easily gonna be the longest section. Um.. idk. The Air Patrol series is dead in the water I think, so I doubt we're gonna see more of that. Would be nice though.  
It'd be nice to see more.. "extreme" rescues for the pups, especially Chase, Zuma and Marshall. Marshall is a firedog and he rarely puts out fires. I think the only times he has prevented a fire is in Pups Save a Friend and Pups Save the Corn Roast, where in both he just puts out smoldering things, I'd love to see him actually tackle a fire. Mr Porters would be a good example. I like the episode where Marshall tells Alex and Mr Porter about fire safety, because I honestly didn't see him as much of a firepup until then. Plus, we rarely see him as an EMT anymore. Maybe be nice to see him do more with that. Obviously they won't do blood and gore, I dont even think they can do broken bones, just sprains.  
Chase never arrests anyone. I mean, seriously, I guarantee you. For a police pup, he just does a lot of traffic control and herding. Be nice to catch a robber or something and have Chase arrest him. Thought that was gonna happen in the Ultimate Rescue episode but nope.  
Zuma is just underused. That's all I have to say about him. He just needs to be used more often.

Sea Patrol episodes are fun. Whilst Sid is annoying, at least he isn't Danny. I know we have more of them coming because of the episode summary on the wikia page. I just love the scene where the Sea Patroller comes out of the pier, plus the music is pretty good too.

As far as I know, Mission PAW is also gone now too, replaced by Ultimate Rescue. (Which I prefer btw). But it would be nice to see that a few more times.

That's all the questions I was asked. Feel free to ask anymore.


	11. Chapter 11: High Frequencies

**My author notes will be at the bottom of the stories from now on, just to prevent clutter.**

* * *

Chapter 11: High Frequencies

 _10:25am - 3 Days after crash_

Marshall sat alone on the bridge, looking out over the vast expanse of ocean, his equally blue eyes scanning for the first sign of land across the ever growing horizon. Surely they must be closer by now? Every few moments, his gaze would change to various monitors in front of him, watching the signal they were following pulse with constant rhythm, almost as if it were representing Chase or Ryder's heartbeat; it gave everyone on the ship hope. Hopefully it gave everyone back home hope too.

Marshall thought for a moment, he regretted just leaving Adventure Bay like that, after all he, and all the pups, swore an oath to protect it, but Everest was right. _"Screw the oath"_ , Marshall thought to himself. Besides, he left Jake in charge, and he is more than capable of organising a few rescues for a few days. By now, the town knew they were gone, they had to. Someone had to have called only to have Jake answer. Marshall hoped that whatever happened during their absence, it wouldn't be too big of a deal. Small things like missing cats, or broken fences, sure, Jake could handle easily, after all, as a mountain ranger he's faced much worse, but fires, or criminals? Then again, Foggy Bottom wasn't too far, and they had the services to help.

Marshall's mind constantly battled internally, pondering his previous decisions. It was a difficult situation for sure, but they've left Adventure Bay for long times before. " _Trips to Carlos or Barkingburg took days. Oh hell, Barkingburg! Does the princess even know yet? I mean, after three days, surely she must have realised that something wasn't right, right?"_

Overall, did he decide correctly? " _Was it a good idea to drag everyone out here? I mean, sure, they'd have gone no matter what he said, but bringing Rocky and Everest out with them? Plus, my leadership got Zuma hurt. But then again, if I just let Rocky go under on his own, he would have been hurt just as badly, or worse. Ryder can always see things before they happen, he knows how to plan ahead"._

Rocky entered the bridge, Marshall didn't notice the addition of another pup in the room, too focused on every thought in his head. He sat behind him. Rocky knew something wasn't right; Marshall was usually so alert, despite first appearances. Not noticing the sound, or smell of another pup in the room was unlike him. Or maybe he did notice and he's too busy doing something else?  
"Uhh, Marshall? You doing ok there buddy?" Rocky asked, breaking the dalmatian's concentration as his head spun round over his shoulder.  
"Oh, hey Rocky. Sorry, deep in some random things" Marshall apologised for his mild ignorance,  
"anything I might be able to shed some light on?" Rocky asked, always happy to add his opinions. Marshall knew Rocky was the best to talk to out of the pups. He was honest, kept secrets, plus he thought a lot like Ryder did. Maybe it could help.  
"Maybe?"  
"Well then, shoot. What's on your mind?" Rocky said, jumping up onto a seat.

"Did we- did.. I make the right decision? Bringing everyone out here to follow what could be a trail to nothing?" Marshall asked. Rocky pondered the thought for a while. It wasn't the first time he had thought about it. He too had his doubts about this mission, but rarely voiced them.  
"I suppose we'll know when its over. If the trail leads no where, then it leads no where. If it leads to Ryder and Chase, well.. I'd say yes. But if it leads to no where, I'd still say yes, I mean, if we didn't, we would have spent ages knowing we had a chance to find them and we didn't bother". Rocky answered, Marshall nodded slowly,  
"but, what about Adventure Bay?" He asked, "we just abandoned them, we didn't tell Mayor Goodway, or Mr Porter, or anyone other than Jake really. And even then, we told him after we boarded this ship".  
"Honestly, and I said the same to Zuma last night, please don't think badly of me for this." Rocky began his answer, Marshall was a bit confused, wondering why he would ever think badly of Rocky. "I sometimes feel like we aren't really needed in the town. Wouldn't we be more useful in a bigger city? We're all incredibly skilled, but we save people in a tiny town and solve problems like taking kids to the dentist or rescuing a chicken? Maybe the Paw Patrol being away from Adventure Bay might make them less reliant on us". Rocky said, looking sort of guilty at his thoughts, but he stuck by them. Honestly, Marshall wasn't quite expecting that, if anything, it just gave him more to think of, but to an extent, he was right, and even he had thought the same, but quickly dismissed the thoughts.

"But look at what's happened so far. Yeah, we've made it halfway across the ocean, and that's not bad for a group of pups, but both you and Zuma have been injured, one of you pretty badly, and that's because of my leadership". Marshall said. At this point, Rocky was getting a bit tired of Marshall doubting himself like this.  
"You're always too hard on yourself Marshall, and it seems every day someone has to remind you of it. Everyone has told you by now that Ryder chose you as a leader because he trusted your judgement. As for us getting hurt, that's part of the job. We accepted the risk when we joined. What was the alternative? Let the ship sink?", Marshall was a little taken aback at this outburst, but listened regardless. Rocky's words weren't untrue, and Marshall knew it.  
"Stop beating yourself up over doing your job Marshall". Rocky finished, smiling. Marshall looked up at him, honestly, he wasn't prepared for this kind of tough love, but it was what he needed.  
"Thanks Rocky."  
"Sure", Rocky said before heading back out of the Bridge.  
"Wait- Rocky, one last thing?" Marshall said, causing Rocky to turn and look at him. "This signal, we know where it's coming from yeah?" Rocky nodded. "Do we know how it's being broadcast?" Rocky took a moment to think, but shook his head.  
"Ryder likely threw something together with what he had. Which when I think about it, was a pup pad, whatever tech they crashed with and probably Chase's tag as the transmitter." Rocky said. Marshall thought for a moment.  
"I have a job for you".

* * *

 _6:36am - 3 Days after crash_

Low sunlight poured through the cave, its warm touch reaching out over various rocks and forms, including the forms of a dog and a boy. Chase's eyes tensed as the light hit his face, he grumbled before waking up. He raised his head, looking around the unusual environment. He quickly looked back at Ryder. He looked like a husk of his normal self. His normally spiky hair was matted down with sweat and grime. His eyes were surrounded with dark skin, which itself was damp and hot. Chase was no medic, but he knew something was wrong with Ryder, and there was no way he'd survive whatever it was if it went untreated. Chase stood up, slowly, still avoiding pressure on his right paw. By now, the splint had fallen off, and despite his best efforts, there was no way to reattach it properly, and Ryder was in no condition to needlessly strain over such matters.

Over the three days of being stuck on the island, Chase had began a routine. He'd take the flask to the local pond multiple times each day, but always made sure there was enough to keep Ryder cool and hydrated, and try and bring back at least one fish to share. He knew it wasn't good for him to be ignoring his own wellbeing, but what choice did he have? Ryder had done so much for him, it's not like he'd let him suffer for his own comfort. That did mean Chase wasn't in the best of shapes either. His fur had lost its shine, and was now as equally matted down as Ryder's hair. There were clumps of fur that had been stuck together with dirt, twigs, and what he hoped was mud. Overall, most of his tan fur had been coated in dirt, and he was beginning to look completely like one colour across his entire body. Not to mention, he was constantly avoiding using his paw.

Most days, inbetween his walks to the pond, Chase would just sit and watch the sea from the cave door. Ryder's signal surely got back to the Lookout by now, and the Paw Patrol would have sent a boat to find them. Chase had hoped Ryder would have asked for them personally, as being out here on his own, looking after Ryder, he felt vulnerable, and he felt as if he couldn't really trust anyone else, but at this point, any boat was better than no boat. Chase sighed, watching the waves roll in the distance, listening to the far away sound of the shore coupled with the constant beeping coming from his tag-emitter device Ryder had made.

Every now and then, Ryder would wake up much to Chase's delight. It worried him to see him in such a state, and he had a nagging thought at the back of his mind that he tried his best to ignore, ' _what if next time he goes to sleep.. he..?'_ Chase shook his head, dismissing the morbid idea. Nothing good would come out of presuming the worst in this scenario.  
"Hi Ryder. You missed the sunrise. I got more water, I'll head out later for more fish, because, y'know.. we aren't sick of fish yet", he said, making himself and Ryder chuckle slightly, only for the latter to cough. "Take it easy Ryder. Just drink and don't bother talking. I know what you're gonna say, I shouldn't be wandering with my paw like this, but Ryder, it's that or we both sit and starve". Chases's voice held a lot of authority, and Ryder knew he was right, but he still didn't feel good about letting one of his pups wander about a potentially dangerous island, especially with the things he saw in his last adventure outside the cave. Ryder sat thinking to himself, sipping water from the Flask as he did so, before stopping and tipping it upside down; nothing dripped out. He shrugged and placed it next to himself. As he did, he looked down and noticed a small pile of cooked, but cold fish next to him.

"I know that's not very sanitary, and I don't exactly have the fingers to remove bones, so watch before you eat it", Chase said, sitting in front of him, picking the flask up in his teeth. Ryder nodded, scooping up small bits of fish and eating them. Chase walked towards the mouth of the cave and stepped out again. By now the sun had risen above the treeline and caused the shepherd to wince as it hit his eyes. He stepped down into the sheltered canopy. It was still hot, and humid, but at least it was easier on the eyes. Slowly, Chase limped back towards the pond to refill their supplies. Despite everything that had happened, he thought it was at least lucky that they found a cave only a few minutes from a fresh water source. Chase still wasn't sure if it was safe for Ryder to drink it, but he really didn't have much of a choice now. He had spent time in his three days on the island looking around for other sources of water. He even followed the stream that fed the pond back to its source, which turned out to be deep inside a rather dark and chilling cave which Chase thought it best not to enter. He shook his head, trying to keep various flying insects from landing on his fur. Being stranded was enough, he didn't need to be covered in itchy insect bites too. By this point, the flask was full. Chase drank directly from the pond, filling himself up as to not take from Ryder's only supply later on. He put the red vessel to the side and began his least favourite task; catching the fish. After a few days of practice, he thought he was rather good at it, but that didn't mean he had to enjoy doing it. The taste of blood always made him think back to memories he'd much rather stayed forgotten.*

He slung the flask over his shoulder, tightening the strap around his good leg and then picked up the fish. It wasn't as big as the previous ones he had caught. By now, he had taken most of the fish out of the small pond and the only ones left were very small. ' _Eventually, there isn't going to be enough for the two of us',_ Chase thought to himself as he walked back towards the cave. On the way back, he took some time to think about the previous few days. How things could have been much worse, like how if Ryder hadn't dived in and caught Chase and breaking his paw, he would have been a much more broken-looking mess on the shore, and Ryder would have been alone. Or if Chase hadn't gone to search around like Ryder had told him, they wouldn't have any food or water. His hypothetical thinking drew him to another subject. How would his friends feel right now? The last thing they saw of Chase or Ryder was the panic on their face as the Air Patroller began to fall, or himself running to put on his flight gear. He could remember the sheer terror in Marshall's voice. Marshall was usually so optimistic, he rarely saw the negative in most situations, and was rarely serious, so Chase knew he was scared when he heard him acting by the book. Which means the rest of the pups will have felt the same when they heard the news. But, that meant that when they got their message, it must have been the best thing they had heard in their lives.

Chase bumped into a rock, not looking where he was going. He looked up and saw he had reached the end of the path and began to climb back up to the cave. He entered, Ryder waved at him. He spat the fish out onto the ground near the fire he had been the custodian of for three days. He knew if it went out, there was not much of a chance to relight it. He passed the flask to Ryder, who smiled and patted Chase on the head, and took slow, controlled sips from the water in an attempt to make it last longer this time. Chase limped back over to the other side of the cave. Ryder watched as his pup walked around with his right leg suspended in the air. He still felt guilty about being the cause of that, but he knew the alternative was not any better. He went to place the water bottle back down next to him, only to stop and have to remove the strap from his arm as it got caught. He looked at the strap, tugged it a little, seeing as it was wrapped around his arm and was more than strong enough to support its weight.  
"Chase", Ryder said, his voice hoarse and barely audible. Chase's ears perked up and he turned to face the source of the sound.  
"Ryder, you should really talk. I don't know what this is, or how to make it better, but if I've learnt anything from Marshall, its that you have to conserve whatever strength you have left". Chase held his breath after realising how morbid that last part sounded. "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that". Ryder just shrugged before gesturing him over to sit next to him. Chase walked over gladly and took a seat.  
"Hold still", Ryder whispered before taking Chase's right paw, causing him to yelp lightly and close his eyes tightly, gritting his teeth. Carefully, he removed the strap from the flask and wrapped it around Chase's paw, and then knotted it around his neck. He then let go of his paw. Chase was expecting it to fall back down to the floor, but instead felt a weight around the back of his neck. Opening his eyes, he saw that Ryder had strapped his paw in place. Chase stood up, immediately feeling the ease of walking around in comparison to how he was doing it before. Sure, he still had three legs instead of all four, but he didn't have to constantly keep his other paw in the air, which was honestly a bit tiring for him.

"Jeez Ryder, you really do think faster than any of us", Chase praised Ryder for his good thinking, nuzzling his side with gratitude. Ryder patted him on the head, coughing fiercely. To Chase, every cough sounded like the worst sound he had ever heard, he was about to hand him the flask, only for Ryder to stop coughing. He pulled something out of his mouth. Chase looked at it and saw a small fish bone. Ryder just looked back at Chase, who simply said "I warned you about fish bones, I'm no chef". Ryder just laughed along with Chase.

* * *

 _14:30pm - 4 Days after crash_

Rocky was working furiously in his room, taking occasional breaks to check on Zuma who sat in the corner watching. Marshall had appointed him with a special task and honestly, he was a bit surprised that the dalmatian had thought of the idea in the first place. Zuma, just like the rest of the pups, had no idea what he was doing. Marshall and Rocky had agreed not to tell them as if the plan didn't work, it would have just been giving false hope.

Zuma tried piecing it together, but he was no genius like Ryder or Rocky. Looking at the various tools scattered across his desk, he only recognised Marshall's old puptag, which had been opened and split in half. Various wires led off from the tag, connecting to a multitude of machines and devices around the mixed breed. Whatever it was, it looked complicated and way out of Zuma's understanding, but watching Rocky work was all he could do. Ever since their relationship began, Rocky insisted he'd be the one to watch over Zuma through the day and night. Marshall was confident that nothing was going to happen, and Zuma had only had to go back to Marshall once or twice to have some burst stitches replaced, but Rocky didn't want to leave Zuma on his own. He did that once and he ended up cut open and half dead.

Zuma stood up, stretching his legs out and yawning at the same time. Stepping off of the green bed, he walked towards the door. Rocky swivelled around on his chair. "Where are you off to?" He asked, Zuma just shrugged,  
"dunno dude, but it can't be very healthy for me to sit awound all day not doing anything. I'm just going for a wander, I've been cooped up in hewe for almost two days dude", Zuma answered, opening the door and walking out. Rocky just shrugged too and got back to work. He knew Zuma was able to walk around unaided now, he found that out the hard way when Zuma left for the bathroom and he tried to accompany him, only for Zuma to look sort of grossed out. Rocky laughed at the thought and continued tinkering with Marshall's tag.

Elsewhere on the ship, Rubble, Everest, Skye and Marshall were watching TV. This far out into the ocean, they didn't get much, and what they did get was in a language they didn't understand. They did turn to Apollo the Super Dog, much to Rubble's delight, only to be disappointed that they couldn't understand a single word they were saying. Skye felt a bit daft, not bringing any kind of movies with them, but at that point, their entertainment wasn't exactly a priority. Though through her boredom, she had time to notice everything else around her, or more specifically, everyone else around her. Marshall suddenly seemed a lot more cheerful in comparison to his moping he had been doing around the pups, ever since Ryder left in fact. Marshall had told her that he didn't feel adequate, that Zuma got hurt because of his decision, but Rocky had given him a rather... stern heart to heart. He explained that Rocky had told him and she agreed with every word. Marshall wasn't surprised, everyone else had the same reaction. He just wished that they had told him sooner.

Her focus then fell on Everest. It was unusual for the team to be with her this long, especially out at sea. Everest didn't seem too bothered. Apparently it was because of her frequent visits to the arctic with Jake. She had admitted that she missed him and being on land, but she wasn't at all bothered being out at sea this long. In fact, she actually enjoyed the prolonged proximity to Marshall, especially after finding out his "secret".

Finally, that left Rubble. Rubble, despite his bubbly personality, was actually quite difficult to read. It shocked both herself and Zuma when he agreed to the plan those days ago. Skye knew he had a 'dark side' so-to-speak. He put that down to his age, after all, when the pups first met Rubble, he was at least two years younger than any of them.** Rubble told her that so long as he was with his friends, he didn't care where he was or how long for. He hated being alone, likely due to living alone for most of his early life.

Most of the time, the pups avoided the most obvious topic onboard the ship, which was Rocky and Zuma. Of course, none of them were at all bothered by it, but they felt it rude to discuss the relationship of anyone else behind their back, even if they only had good things to say.

Skye stared off into the distance, a glazed look falling over her eyes. "Skye..? Skyeee? Skye!?" Marshall's voice broke through her gaze. "You ok?" He asked, smiling, "you looked like someone had told you you were getting shots", Skye shuddered at the thought, causing the others to laugh.  
"Sorry guys, was just thinking", she answered, smiling.  
"'bout what?" Everest asked. Skye opened her mouth to answer, only to be interrupted by Rubble.  
"Well look at who's back on their feet!" Rubble said, running to the door. Skye turned around to see Zuma stood in the doorway, who was soon almost knocked to the floor by Rubble.  
"Good to see you two Wubble.. even though you've seen me twice today". Zuma said, slightly winded.  
"Yeah, but I had to come find you. Now you're up here with us! Wait, why aren't you with Rocky? Oh no, did you guys argue?" Zuma scoffed at the idea,  
"Dude, we've been together for like, two days. I'm just up hewe because I was getting borwed, plus, I think Marshall wanted to replace my bandages anyway". Marshall nodded, although his bandages were not as red as they had been a day ago, they were still spotted with bits of red.  
"Aww, so you didn't come up to see us?" Skye said to him as he walked over and sat with the group. As he spoke with the others, Marshall slowly removed his Bandages. "So, what have you and Rocky been up to?" Everest asked. Everyone just rolled their eyes.  
"Evewest we have-"  
"None of our business Zuma. Just keep it behind closed doors", Skye said, shooting a cold glare at Everest who just shrugged.  
"Guys, we haven't done anything like that, I'm 5, he's 6. I'm fairly certain there are laws against it."  
"We're dogs. Those laws are for humans" Marshall said, not realising what kind of conversation he was contributing to, being too concentrated on Zuma's bandages.  
"Will you guys stop twying to wuin whatever innocence I have left?" He said, slamming a paw across his eyes causing the others to laugh.

* * *

 _21:36pm - 4 Days after crash_

Although he couldn't put his paw on it, or his nose for that matter, Chase knew something was bothering Ryder at night. He stood looking out over the canopy lit by the moonlight. Something worried him that was outside the cave. He wasn't telling him something, which of course Chase was both thankful for and not at the same time, since by his own orders, Ryder was to speak as little as possible. But ever since Ryder had said the fire would keep 'other things' away, Chase couldn't help but feel as if he wasn't the biggest animal on the island. Not only that, but he had promised to Ryder that he wouldn't wander out of the cave at night. Ryder said it was because it would be too dark to see dangers, but Chase knew he wasn't referring to sudden drops. Something else was on the island with them. He remembered back to the discared carcass in the bushes. There was no way a fox would do that, or a badger. Ryder said that as long as he was near the fire, nothing would happen, which itself made Chase laugh slightly. All those talks with Marshall and being told to keep away from fire, and there he was, practically sleeping on one.

By this point, Ryder had fallen completely asleep again. The remnants of the small fish Chase caught that day left in the corner of the cave in a pile of bones and discarded parts. Chase was beginning to get a bit sick of the taste of fish, but it wasn't like there was an alternative.

Chase stood up, Ryder's make-shift sling holding his paw in place much more effectively than the leaf and twig one he had on days ago. He walked back over towards Ryder and laid down at his side. He rolled onto his side and watched the fire. The flames danced like some form of ballet. He watched as each flame grew and quickly faded into nothing. Slowly, the hypnotic flickering began to send him to sleep, even with his constant thought of an unknown danger out in the forest was watching. Just as his eyes began to close, his eyes shot open again. His ears pinned down. A high pitched whistle filled the cave. He flung his left paw over his ears as much as possible, squirming. The sound was uncomfortable to say the least. Chase's movements woke Ryder, who saw Chase rolling about with his ears covered. Instantly, he sat up, moving his paw to try and see what was causing his pup pain. Chase looked up, "can you not hear that?" he asked, shocked at how at how calm Ryder seemed. Ryder just shook his head. Chase stood up, shaking his head. He looked about, daring to lift his ears slightly to find the source of the sound.  
"Chase, what is it?"  
"Shh" Chase responded quickly, limping towards the communicator device Ryder had made. "It's this!" Chase said, pushing it to Ryder. "You really can't hear that?"  
"What does it sound like?"  
"I don't know how to describe it. It's quieter at least". Ryder looked puzzled. Carefully, he lifted the tag up to his ear, still nothing. "I can't believe you can't hear it. It's like the worst dog whistle ever". Ryder's eyes widened, mentally slapping himself in the face.  
"I can't hear it because it's too high of a frequency for humans", Chase also mentally slapped his own face. Perhaps the lack of sleep was getting to them. "Chase, you need to listen to it very carefully. This could be anything; a glitch, or maybe a response".  
"A response? But I thought you said we are using the receiving power to transmit".  
"We are Chase, but whatever is being sent is some kind of communication method I've never seen before, it must require so little energy, that what's left of my pup pad is able to pick up traces of it. But because you're the only one who can hear it-"  
"I got it Ryder, but.. it's just a really long, continuous beep. Nothing els- wait.. it's stopped?" Chase cocked his head, lifting his ear and getting closer to the device. "Sorry Ryder, I can't hear a thing". Ryder slumped back onto the wall, coughing. Chase noticed a look on his face, as the hope he had just moments ago vanished from his eyes like someone just stomped out the last embers of a fire.  
"Oh well. It was probably just some rogue signal or something. We're out at sea, lots of boats are passing within 100 miles, maybe someone just sat on a button", Ryder sighed before laying down.  
"Ryder, are you ok?"  
"Yeah Chase... I'm fine", Ryder said with a shaky voice.  
"Oh.. well, ok. Goodnight". Chase laid down next to Ryder, letting his eyelids fall over his eyes, which were still focused on the pup tag. " _It had to be something else. It's too much of a coincidence"._

* * *

 _22:12pm - 4 Days after crash_

"Ok Zuma, hopefully that'll be the last time I have to do that", Marshall said, putting the old bandages in the trash and washing his paws.  
"Cheers Mawshall", Zuma responded, jumping down from his seat and stretching, letting his new bandages settle into place. Zuma often admired Marshall, not the way he admired Rocky, that was something completely different. He admired Marshall on his skill. Sure, he spent most of his time falling on his face, or onto someone else's face, but no one else in the team had the patience needed to be a doctor, or a firepup, or a leader, (aside from Chase of course). Marshall turned around and faced Zuma.  
"Right. This is the bit I wasn't looking forward to", Marshall said, patting the seat next to him, gesturing to Zuma to return to sitting with him.  
"What's up? Is something wrong with me?" Zuma asked, slightly concerned.  
"No, not at all. Um.. Zuma? Remember.. "The talk" with Ryder? We all had it". Zuma's mind fell blank, thinking back through as many conversations he had with Ryder throughout his life.  
"Any in particular?" Zuma asked, struggling to understand what Marshall was hinting at.  
"THE talk?... Y'know.. where pups come from?" Marshall said, flushing red. Sure, part of his role included studying and understanding the anatomy of most animals, including pups. Sadly for Marshall, that meant he lost his innocence earlier than any of his teammates, even Chase. He shuddered at the biology books he had to read.  
"THAT talk?" Zuma said, a little bit surprised, "Um.. yeah I.. I guess? Why?" Zuma asked, confused.  
"Well, there are... complications when that.. topic? Is applied to a couple like you and Rocky", Marshall said, getting uncomfortable, "look Zuma, I don't like this anymore than you do", Marshall said, seeing Zuma's eyes widen when the penny dropped. "It's part of my job to make sure you guys are always healthy and ready for action, and this is the kind of talk I have to give",  
"Mawshall, dude please don't",  
"look Zuma, it's not just you. If Skye or Everest became.. pregnant, I'd have to be the one to check up on them every now and then, and tell them what to expect, I'm just glad I'm talking to another guy here, because.. girls make me noticeably uncomfortable", he said, nervously laughing.  
"Look, dude. Rocky and I aren't doing anything, at all! I said it before, we're too young to be thinking like that".  
"Never stopped Chase trying"  
"Wait, with who?"  
"Doesn't matter", Marshall quickly answered, Zuma raised an eyebrow,  
"ugh, ew oh god no Zuma it wasn't with me", Marshall said, retching, "we're basically brothers".  
"Then who?"  
"This isn't about Chase. Now, about you and Rocky."  
"Please, Mawshall I'll do anything"  
"So the point is to take your time, make sure you're both comfortab-"

"Marshall, I think I've made a breakthrough on your "project"". Zuma sighed, much louder than he thought, but was surprised when Marshall did the same.  
"Saved by the pup tag, eh?" Marshall said, "thank god". Marshall jumped down from his chair. Zuma began to scramble towards the door, "Zuma! Wait. Look, that was.. yeah we won't talk about it. You and Rocky will figure it out"  
"WE AWEN'T DOING ANYTHING!" Zuma cried out, sounding exhausted.  
"Look, take this", Marshall handed Zuma a small, thin book, the title read 'healthy reproduction'.  
"Um.. I'd uh.. wather not Mawshall."  
"It's the booklet or we talk"  
"Done", Zuma snapped, taking the booklet from Marshall and running out of the room, quickly slowing and clutching his side. "Oh, yeah, fowgot about that". He stopped and folded the leaflet up and tucked it into his collar, trying to hide it as best as possible. Marshall walked swiftly past him.  
"It's best you don't bother us for a minute. This is a project I'd rather have fewer pups involved in",  
"whatever dude", Zuma replied, rolling his eyes and walking towards his own room. He felt weird stepping into it, since he had spent a few days either sleeping in Rocky's room, or in the Medic Bay.

* * *

 _22:30pm - 4 Days after crash_

Marshall entered Rocky's room, instantly wafting a paw in front of his face. "Jeez, Rocky. Smells worse than the sock we wear when playing hide and seek",  
"yeah yeah, gets hot in here and I haven't been out in two days ok? anyways, come and look at this!" Marshall walked over to the desk, looking at his old pup tag dissected on the surface. Part of him felt a little bad, seeing something he had from his moment of adoption and something he proudly wore for years, torn apart and more or less cannibalised for parts.  
"Um.. ok, so you ruined my old pup tag and glued wires to it?"  
"I spent all of yesterday running the morse code signal through every algorithm processor I could, I didn't find out a lot, but I did find that whatever was sending it was low power and had a sub-signal we didn't hear originally", Rocky said before turning to Marshall who just shrugged. "It means, it had a sound that none of us heard before because Ryder filters it out for our sake".  
"For our sake? What do you mean by that?" Marshall became more curious. Rocky just stared deadpan at Marshall before pressing a button on a nearby receiver. Instantly, the room was filled with a painful and sudden noise; high pitched squealing came from every receiver in the room. Marshall slammed his paws onto his ears, saving his sensitive hearing from the terrible sound. Rocky sat looking at him, still deadpan. "OK! OK I GET IT! TURN IT OFF!" Marshall yelled. Suddenly, the door flew open.  
"What the hell was that?" Zuma walked in, "Wocky, what did you do?"  
"I found something helpful, but it's not very nice to listen to".  
"Hey, I said I didn't want anyone else in on this Zuma, did you read that leaflet?"  
"Leaflet?" Rocky asked,  
"Dude, twust me, just.. just don't ask. And Marshall, boyfriend twumps your authority". Zuma said, moving the folded leaflet behind his puptag. Marshall just sighed.  
"Ok Rocky, tell me how this.. sound helps us", Marshall said, rubbing his ears.

"Well, it's actually quite simple. After finding that noise, I knew I had heard it somewhere before. Not that loud of course, but I recognised it. That's when I remembered that day when Rubble dropped a rock on his puptag".  
"Ohh I wemember that, little dude wouldn't stop cwying, he thought Wyder was gonna be mad",  
"well, when Ryder was trying to fix that tag, he tested it by calling me. The test didn't last very long because I heard that noise. He didn't, because our hearing is better than a human's, even Ryder's". Marshall nodded,  
"go on?"  
"So, once I recognised the sound, I had to be sure, so I tried to find out what caused that sound in Rubble's broken puptag by trying to synthetically recreate the accident on your old tag. Sorry" Marshall just shrugged, "anyways, about an hour ago, I managed to get it to make the noise again, but I can't make it stop either. I quickly isolated the frequency to prevent it from relaying through your tags, but once the sound started, it stopped the morse code", Marshall quickly became more interested. "The sound cancelled out whatever transmitter is being used to transmit the morse code to us, but these tags only communicate with other tags. After spending some time tinkering with my own tag, I finally figured it out. Ryder must have used Chase's tag as a beacon, sending out the signal across the sea to Adventure Bay. Morse code needs such a small amount of power, it could be played on loop for days using the battery in our tag, but that's not all. To boost it, Ryder had to have connected his pup-pad, plus, there would be no other way to input the signal".

"Rocky, where is this going? It's great that you figured out how we are talking to them but it's not what I asked", Marshall said growing a bit impatient.  
"Sorry, sorry. I like to ramble. Anyways, my point is, now we know how they're sending the signal, we can try to send one back using that wonderful noise we all just heard. Problem is, Chase will be the only one who hears it, plus I'll have to apologise for making him listen to it".  
"Wait, that's what you've been doing?" Zuma asked, "you've been trying to send a message to Chase and Wyder?" Zuma's tail began to wag. "Dude, that is so cool!" Marshall smiled at Rocky.  
"So, how do we send a message?" Marshall said, continuing the conversation at hand.  
"Well, if he is using the tag, he will have disabled the ability to receive signals to boost battery time, but! This subsignal controls our puptags. Think of it like a remote control, when a certain length of beep is played, it sends a command. If I can just figure out what command we need, I can try and transmit it back to Chase's tag. They won't be able to contact us again, but we can tell them we are on the way". Marshall high-fived Rocky,  
"Ok, but I think it's time we all got some sleep guys". Marshall said smiling, "and Zuma, Rocky's gonna need that leaflet too, be sure to share!" Marshall laughed walking out of the room.  
"Right. What leaflet?" Rocky said, confused. Zuma sighed and removed a folded piece of paper from under his collar, letting Rocky look at it.  
"Oh gross, no thanks, not yet we're far too young", Rocky said, pushing the leaflet into the nearby bin.  
"That's exactly what I've been saying!"  
"He just gave you it?"  
"Not before he twied to tell me himself" Zuma shuddered, as did Rocky. "C'mon, forget that happened, I'm twying too. Let's get some sleep already". Rocky nodded before turning back to his desk and slotting his pup tag into a holster next to Marshall's disassembled one. "Just gonna set this to find the right signal. And also make sure it's muted because.. ow". Zuma laughed.  
"Also, Wocky"  
"Hmm?"  
"We're in my woom tonight. Yours smells like a gym sock".

* * *

*Chapter 3: Chase's Case  
**Episode - Pups Get a Rubble. Rubble looks very, very young in comparison to the rest of the team who all look the same age as usual.

 **Hey guys, I've moved all this junk to the bottom because I think it makes it less cluttered, plus not everyone wants to see me ramble. So, this chapter was... uneventful. I'm not sure I like it but I've been away for a while doing... important stuff.**

 **So, in this chapter, I tried to introduce how each of the pups was viewing Rocky and Zuma, and Marshall having to give the infamous talk which, of course, would be different for a male male couple. I just thought those sort of situations would be super uncomfortable to sit through, especially coming from a friend and I tried to make it somewhat funny. The main points to take from this chapter are Chase is uncomfortable about something on the island with them, and believes Ryder is hiding something from him, and that Rocky has begun to figure out a way to send a response to Ryder.**

 **I am making use of that T rating, no point having it and not doing some fun stuff. Sorry if this chapter sort of bored you. It rather bored me writing it too. Whilst writing this, I am in the process of planning my next story in order to make it easier to write and therefore update more often. I'll reveal some plot on that in a final afterword chapter after this.**

 **I did just recently find the pup's ages from an official source, (and looking at the ages, I don't know if its in dog or human years. If it's in human years, it would mean that all of the pups are actually not puppies anymore :/ ) The actual ages for anyone wondering are:  
**

 **Everest: 8  
Chase and Skye: 7  
Rocky and Marshall: 6  
Zuma and Rubble: 5  
Not sure of Tracker's since he wasn't listed on the page. I like to think they mean dog years, which would make them pups. I was interested to find that Everest was the oldest though, I thought she would be around Zuma's age actually.**

 **Anyways, Reviews:  
Guest: _I'd rather keep to one couple in this story, as I believe it gives me a more diverse range of dialogue between the pups. Everest and Marshall being together would mean I would have two couples, instead of one couple and a shy pup with a crush, which I prefer writing for. (Maybe I'll add it at the end? Might be a bit cliche though)._**

 **Chase: _As always, good to hear from you :)_**

 **Also, big thanks to wrldqueek for helping me correct a few mistakes in my last chapter. Bound to be a few in this one too, but it's currently 1am and I'd rather sleep. If there are any, let me know and I'll take a peek. It's usually just the wrong names in the wrong place and likely a few grammar mistakes. (I do write these at like, midnight :/ )**

 **hannahgrxe thanks for the follow, always appreciated!**

 **Well, until next time guys!  
PupPupGo xx :)**


	12. Chapter 12: First Contact

Chapter 12: First Contact

* * *

 _13:30pm - 6 days after Crash_

Rocky had been working hard for days, despite being offered multiple opportunities for breaks. Most of the pups were trying to avoid him, as working nonstop for that long had made him.. cranky to say the least. Both Zuma and Marshall were getting worried. Sure, Rocky was an avid worker, but no one liked him when he was frustrated. He had his reasons though, he almost made a breakthrough, but instead, transmitted the wrong frequency through the ship's external bullhorns and that gave everyone a trip to Marshall's medic room. It took hours until the ringing in their ears stopped. Rocky could only apologise and shut himself away again.

Of course, to the others, they didn't know what was happening behind that door, only that Marshall knew and they had their suspicions about Zuma too.

Skye walked into the living quarters, sitting next to Everest and Zuma who were busy channel surfing through various shows and movies, all of which none of them could understand. Skye nudged Everest, who just simply looked down at her confused, before remembering the plan.  
"So.. Zuma?" Zuma's head lifted up from the cushion he was spread out on, still resting his wounds, "how are you and Rocky getting on?"  
"Please don't tell me you're gonna give me the talk too?" Zuma said, covering his ears. Everest and Skye just looked confused,  
"the talk?"  
"Mawshall twied to teach me the male male version of 'the talk'", he said making quotation marks in the air with his paws.  
"The t- oh, no gross. We're just wondering how you two are getting along. You've been together for four days but you don't seem to spend a lot of time together?" Skye said, trying to shake certain images from her mind.  
"He's busy on some impowtant pwoject Mawshall has him working on. I go in evewy now and then and twy to talk, but he's gwumpy when he's tired out", Zuma sighed, "besides, Mawshall is usually with him and after how awkward things got the other day, I'm actively twyin to avoid contact with him".  
"That's fair", Everest said nodding, "so, do you know what the project is?" Zuma just shook his head, remembering what Marshall had said. "Really? Not even a guess?"  
"Not a clue girls. Wish I knew" he said, standing up and yawning, "well, if you excuse me, I'm gonna go find something to do that I can understand". Zuma tossed the remote in front of Everest, who just turned the TV off and looked at Skye who just shrugged her shoulders.

* * *

In the lower rooms, Rubble was busy washing his rig since there was nothing else to do. It was the third time since they had set off but the alternative was nothing, and he liked to keep busy, he even considered washing the other rigs and boats, before seeing the state of the back of Rocky's boat and deciding it was probably best he kept to his own stuff. "Hey wubble", Zuma wandered in.  
"Oh, hey Zuma, how's your chest doin?" Rubble replied, jumping off the scoop of his rig.  
"Getting better, Mawshall said the stitches can pwobably come out soon, which is good because they itch like cwazy", Zuma said, punctuating the answer with a short scratch with his back leg.  
"So, anything I can do for you?" Rubble asked, interrupting Zuma's itching session,  
"huh? Oh, no not weally, I'm just looking for something to do. S'pose I'll just wash my stuff", Zuma answered, standing up and walking towards his hovercraft, grabbing a sponge and bucket of water on the way.

Whilst washing his hovercraft, Zuma kept glancing over at Rubble. Out of everyone on his team, he was the one he knew least about, which was strange. He knew Rubble was younger than him, but not by much. He knew Rubble had the biggest appetite, stealing the role from Marshall when he joined. Even Everest struggled to keep up with him. But.. that was about it.  
"Hey, Wubble", Rubble looked up holding a sponge in his mouth, "what was it like? Living out on the streets alone?"  
"Well, from what Ryder has told me, didn't you do the same?"  
"Sorta? It was more like jumping between boats and sailing around for a while. I got caught one day jumping onto a fweighter and was taken away to the neawest pound. Lucky for me it was in Foggy Bottom, and even luckier that Rocky saw me..." Zuma began to trail of, thinking of what could have happened if the Paw Patrol weren't in Foggy Bottom that day. "Hey, I asked you anyways. Where did you come from? I wemember one of my pawents, my Mom at least, don't you wemember any of yours?" Zuma asked, changing the subject. Rubble just spat his sponge out onto his rig and sat for a while. "Doesn't matter little dude, if you'd wather not talk about it, I'm not one to pry".  
"I wemember my Dad", Rubble said, his voice missing its usual childlike innocence. Zuma fell silent, prompting the young bulldog to continue. "My Dad, I don't remember his name, I just remember a lot of running. He told me that humans don't like dogs that look tough and intimidating, they prefer cute.. adorable pups with big ears like Spaniels or Labradors". Zuma flinched on the last word, Rubble noticed, "not that there's anything wrong with Labradors of course! The last I saw of my dad was when he made me hide under a dumpster. He made me dig into the dirt and lay low, I watched from underneath as two men entered an alleyway, holding a leash and a net. My dad put up a fight of course, who wouldn't?" Zuma just sat, wondering if he should have asked the question at all now. "Anyways, you can guess what happened next. My dad got caught by the net. When they went to grab him and attach a leash, he bit one of the men's hands. We both know what happens to dogs who bite humans". Zuma just solemnly nodded, terrified that this small pup had to see so much, and then work out what happened to his own father after he had been captured.

"Once the men left, I stayed underneath the dumpster for three days, waiting for him to come back. In the end, I knew he wasn't going to. Turns out, he was right. I spent days wandering about, asking for help. Of course, I was so young all I could do was whine and yip. People threw trash at me, which worked in my benefit I guess. Most of the trash had lots of food that humans seemed to see as bad. There was never enough to fill me though. I wandered about, until I eventually left whatever city I grew up in, and ended up walking around the coasts of the country for a few years. Carnivals throw out lots of food, lots. I spent two years hanging out under a pier eating soggy fries, cotton candy, burgers. In the end, I had to run after a group of humans found me and thought it was funny to burn my ear". Zuma was horrified at Rubble's story. "Eventually, I walked around the coasts of Foggy Bottom, where I didn't stay for long because it was cold, and constantly wet, where I came across Adventure Bay. If it weren't for Marshall missing that ball, I would have never have met you guys".*

Zuma just sat, processing everything, watching as Rubble nonchalantly grabbed his sponge again and got back to work, as if it didn't bother him at all. He was the youngest pup, but he spent at least four of his years wandering about the shores of the country alone and starving. Zuma figured that explained his appetite, but how was he so optimistic all the time?  
"Wubble, dude. That's awful"  
"That's life I suppose"  
"How can you be so cheerful all the time?"  
"Because my life is so much better now. I'm part of the Paw Patrol, I have an amazing home, and.. an amazing family. I never thought I'd get another. It's better to be happy about what we have, than to be sad about what we've lost". Zuma wasn't expecting such wisdom from him, or such a harrowing story from their youngest member. "It's something my Dad used to say about my Mom". At this point, Zuma was just speechless. "So, what about you? What made you just suddenly start jumping ships?" Rubble said, slapping a sponge onto the rear of his rig.  
"Boredom weally. After my Mom... um, passed on, I had no one else to talk to. I lived in the middle of a shipyard, and I had always wanted to leave. My Mom always told me that spending your life locked in one place is the best way to mark your own gwavesite. Sure, maybe it wasn't as optimistic as what your dad said, but I could never fowget it. So, I jumped on the first ship out. The rest I've said. I just ate from various containers or stole food from dockyards, eventually getting caught and so on".  
"Zuma, if you.. uh, don't mind me asking, why did your Mom.. y'know?"  
"Die?" Zuma said, blankly.  
"Uh.. yeah." Rubble said, "nevermind. Just forget I asked it doesn't matter".  
"My Mom said that my Dad left to find food on a nearby ship. He didn't come back. She knew it wasn't because he didn't love us, he just got lost at sea. Over time, she just became sadder and sadder, she stopped eating, she got weak and one winter.. she just.. slept". Zuma said, wiping his left eye. "She did give me this though", Zuma said, tugging at his blue collar. "She told me people would be less likely to avoid me if I wore it. Humans don't like stways, not that I have to tell you though", Zuma said.

Both of the pups just washed their rigs in silence for a while, the sound of squeaking metal and dripping water being the only audible thing for almost twenty minutes. "Thank you", Rubble said, breaking the silence.  
"For what?" Zuma asked, putting his sponge back in the bucket.  
"No one on the team has actually asked me before. Other than Ryder of course. It felt good talking to someone. Sometimes it's just nice to get it off your shoulders, even when they are as big as mine", Rubble said laughing. Zuma laughed too.  
"Thank you too Wubble. I'm not gonna tell anyone",  
"Me either. But.. one last question?"  
"Shoot"  
"When did you know you were into guys?", Zuma wasn't expecting that.  
"When Wocky found me in the pound, he was the one who sat with me for a while whilst Marshall and Ryder came down to see me. I was bwuised pretty badly, and scawed out of my life. Wocky laid down next to me to keep me company, and got me to talk to the the west of the team over the following days. I never told anyone, but since then, Wocky had always been more than a fwiend to me".  
"So it's not because you think he's handsome?" Rubble said, chuckling.  
"Not weal- Hey, of course he's handsome, but.. I care more about someone for who they are, not what they are". Rubble just looked at him, "yeah yeah, that was the mushiest thing I have EVER said and if you tell anyone, I swear I will keelhaul you from my hovercwaft". Rubble just laughed.

"Pups to the Bridge". Marshall's voice echoed through both of their puptags.  
"Well, I'm done cleaning anyways. Again", Rubble said throwing his sponge back into the bucket before walking out of the door. "Come on Zuma!" Rubble said.  
"Onnnne sec! Just got a spot I can't get clean!" Zuma said back before being pulled into the stairwell.  
"Zuma, bridge. Let's go!". Zuma didn't bother fighting back against his pull, after all, Rubble was probably the only pup in the group who might be able to go toe to toe with Chase, other than Marshall, so instead he just fell limply to the floor.  
"I'm not carrying you up these stairs"  
"But.. I'm injured" Zuma fake whined.  
"You can walk down 'em, you can walk up 'em", Rubble answered back grinning.

* * *

 _18:30pm - 6 Days after Crash_

Rocky heard the door close behind him, sighing in slight relief. He loved Zuma, sure, but he hated having an audience whilst he worked, he always felt as if he was messing up. Of course, Zuma wouldn't know the difference between progress and a setback when it came to Rocky's work, since all of it looked like a messy conglomerate of wires and junk to the other pups. He also knew, even though the pups think he doesn't realise, that he gets cranky when he works this hard for so long. Letting out a frustrated sigh, he tossed a small screwdriver to the side, letting it roll off his desk as he leant backwards in his chair. He'd been working on this communications device for days, barely stopping for sleep, eating or just saying hi to the other pups. The only progress he had made was getting the tag to play the same sound as before, and no one liked that.

Rocky closed his eyes, resting his chin on the desk. The sound of the cabin door opening behind him caused him to lift his good ear. "Rocky?"  
"Hey Marshall", Rocky sighed. Marshall had been constantly poking his head into the cabin all the time to check on the project. Well, Rocky actually knew it was to check on him, but he didn't want anyone checking on him, he worked better undistracted.  
"Soo.. how's it-"  
"I can't get any of this stupid stuff to work!" Rocky said, angrily swiping a lot of various junk off his desk, growling. "I've been cooped up in here for days with nothing to show for it except a butchered pup tag and a migraine". Marshall let Rocky calm down for a few seconds before walking over. Rocky's breathing slowed down, feeling a paw on his back.  
"Rocky, just leave it then. It wasn't right of me to put this much work on one pup. C'mon, come back upstairs, we've finally managed to find a channel on the TV that isn't in some language we don't understand".  
"I understood all of them".  
"Of course you did. C'mon Rocky", Marshall said smiling and turning around to leave the room, but stopping when he didn't feel Rocky following. He turned back to see him resting his head underneath his paws. He opened his mouth to ask his name, wanting to know if he was ok, but what happened next was enough to answer that. Rocky was crying. Besides Chase, Marshall always saw Rocky as the most sensible and serious of the team; the intelligent one who always thought before running in. He always seemed collected and calm, but now, seeing him break down like this was something Marshall wasn't totally prepared for.

The sniffling continued, there were no loud sobs coming from him, just the occasional sharp intake of breath. Marshall walked back over to the desk and sat down next to the chair. Slowly, he reached a paw out to Rocky's, placing it gently next to his head. Rocky quietly growled, causing Marshall to back his paw away. "I'm a failure Marshall", Rocky said, taking a breath in through his nose, looking over at Marshall, who sat considering his next words very carefully. All this time Marshall had been moping about himself, saying he was useless as a leader, Rocky had been the one to talk some sense into him, and he certainly wasn't going to let him down when it was his turn, but.. here he was, unable to think of what to say other than,  
"You're not a failure Rocky. No one else can do the things you can, and this project doesn't matter. We'll get to Ryder and Chase without it",  
"I'm not just talking about the stupid project", Rocky retorted, anger slowly rising in his voice, "I.. I should have told Ryder not to go. He and I were checking the skies before they left. We both saw the storm coming in. He asked.. he asked me if it was a smart thing to do, I said that the princess was counting on them. Fly above the clouds, I said, it won't get you then". Rocky was angry now, but not with Marshall, with himself. "If I just told him, No Ryder, the storm is too strong, the Princess will have to wait, we wouldn't be out here in the middle of the freaking ocean looking for him and Chase". Rocky said quickly, gasping for breath afterwards before calming down. "Just.. just leave me to this so I can't get anyone else in danger". Marshall sat to the side, processing what he had been told. Part of him did actually feel angry towards Rocky. Yeah, it is his fault technically, but any of them could have made that decision, Zuma said something about a storm a few days before, Skye did too, noticing how the increase in wind made it difficult to fly.  
"Rocky.. It's not your fault at all you didn-"  
"It is your fault Wocky". Zuma stood at the other side of Rocky, who just looked over at him quickly, as did Marshall, looking very shocked at the accusation.  
"What?" Rocky said, wiping his nose on his paw.  
"You're wight. You could have told Wyder not to go out in that storm. If you did, he'd probably still be here, so would Chase. So, yes. It's your fault". Marshall just sat stunned, whilst Rocky just began crying again. "So, Wocky. If it's your fault, that makes it your responsibility to help set things wight again. So don't you dare give up on anything, especially not Chase, and never Wyder. They would never blame you for this, and none of us do either. YOU blame you for this, so stop". Rocky sat up, looking at Zuma. Marshall was concerned, Rocky was unpredictable like this, he was rarely this upset. Rocky lunged forward to Zuma, Marshall did the same, but quickly stopped when he just saw Rocky wrapping his paws around his mate's shoulders. "Thank you, Zuma", Rocky said, kissing him before sitting back up.

"Ok! So I've tried connecting the communications array to the algorithm encoupler, trying to create a new algorithm that can communicate with our tags, but none of them are working, so perhaps I'm ju.." Marshall and Zuma just looked at each other, zoning out from the various things Rocky was saying to himself before Marshall dragged Zuma towards the door.  
"How'd you know that'd work".  
"Lucky guess dude. Wocky is too smart to listen to mushy stuff, he doesn't want to hear that it wasn't his fault, he knows everyone doesn't think that. What he needed, was some tough love" Marshall thought back to his conversation with Rocky on the bridge. In fact, most of his conversations with Rocky worked the same. He never held his punches, but they always hit the mark perfectly. If it weren't for Rocky's tough love, Marshall would be loitering around the ship feeling sorry for himself. And if it weren't for Zuma's tough love to Rocky, he'd be forever blaming himself for something he didn't do.

"I've been looking at this all wrong!" Rocky yelled, bring Marshall and Zuma back to the desk. "That sound", Rocky flicked a switch letting the room fill with the high pitched white noise again, before Zuma quickly turned it off,  
"we're all familiar with that sound dude", Zuma said, rubbing his ear.  
"That sound is constantly there, at a higher pitch that even we cannot hear. It works as a closed communications method between tags, allowing them to talk to each other or to other systems without our input", Rocky said grinning, "Zuma! Remember when you were injured underwater and couldn't breathe, the sea patroller's systems alerted me to it because your collar told the sea patroller's systems!" Zuma looked back at his bandaged side and then at his tag.  
"Where you going with this dude?" Zuma asked.  
"When I press this switch", Rocky began to lean towards the same switch before Marshall slapped his paw back, "yeah yeah Ok fine, when i press that switch, it lowers the frequency, ever so slightly, to a point at which we can hear it. I can't lower it anymore, but it makes all of our tags make that noise. Well, they're constantly making that noise, but at a frequency we cannot hear. Basically, all of our tags are the source of the sound!"  
"Sooo, you've made a switch that makes us all deaf?" Marshall asked, looking at his tag. "Wait, if this affects all of our pup tags.. oh.. poor Tracker", Marshall said, causing the other two to laugh.  
"It's short range, within 1000 kilometers. By now, we're a few thousand away from there now",  
"But our tags aren't that loud, how can they hear each other?" Zuma asked.  
"Simple. Because we are a rescue team, our communications use whatever source of transmission they latch onto. Police towers, cell phone receivers, satellites, you name it".  
"I still don't see where this is going Rocky?" Marshall said, skeptical.  
"Put it shortly, I currently have this set to contact every possible collar. It lights up when there is one in range and it is contacting with one", Rocky said, pointing at Marshall's old tag. "Basically, If I remove all of our frequencies from the tag's database, it won't recognise any of them, unless it-  
"Unless it gets within range of another tag!" Marshall said, grinning. "Rocky, you're an absolute genius".  
"When we get within 1000 kilometers of Chase and Ryder, this will light up. Then, I can send a message by turning the sound on and off like morse code. Hopefully, Chase will either understand it, or have the brains to tell Ryder. I can reduce the range of the tag, letting us pinpoint Ryder and Chase the closer we get".

Marshall just stood still, tail wagging. Zuma looked very impressed, smiling proudly at his mate. "Dude, you'we incwedible". Zuma jumped up and hugged him, licking all over his face.  
"Down boy", Marshall said, "we still need him alive!" The three of them laughed, before Marshall left the room, leaving Zuma to accompany Rocky.

* * *

 _20:27pm - 6 Days after Crash_

Lots of time had passed since Chase and Ryder had landed on the island, each day, Ryder's condition grew a little worse. Chase was becoming increasingly concerned about Ryder's health. He had slowed down eating, what he did eat didn't stay in him for long. Water was more or less the only thing he could keep down. Not being able to do much for him, Chase just made sure to keep refilling their water and food supplies. When he wasn't busy, he would spend his spare time watching his blue puptag on the floor, attached to some kind of butchered up hybrid of his tag and Ryder's puppad. He didn't know what the sound was, but it had only happened once since they crashed. It felt too coincidental that it might have picked up a stray signal from Ryder. He was never one to doubt him, but he felt as if there were things he wasn't being told by his owner. Chase knew their puptags were too secure for some random fishing boat to be able to affect it. It had to be someone they knew. Ryder, of course, denied this.

Ryder didn't want to give the pup too much hope, but.. he knew it was wrong to lie to Chase. If what Chase had described to him was in fact what it sounded like, there was only one team on the planet that could cause tags to do that; his team. Ryder knew the pups wouldn't just sit around and wait for someone else to save them, and it was stupid of them to try. He didn't tell Chase about his theories, and never told him about the potential predators lurking around in the forest right outside their cave. He only ever said to keep the fire up.

Chase did as he was told. Keeping Ryder warm was the obvious priority, but still, part of him felt as if the fire played a different role. Chase knew there was something on the island. Something instinctive was always at the back of his mind, urging him to get off that island. Something wasn't right. Sometimes, falling asleep, or walking back to the cave during the day, he could feel something on him, like a gaze. It made him shudder, the thought of something bigger and toothier than him being on the island, and he knew, if the time came, he was in no condition to fight back. He never let Ryder know. He assumed he already knew, but if he didn't, he didn't want to scare the boy. Neither of them were in a condition to fight back against whatever it was out there. He thought back to the first day he spent on the island, waking up and walking around. Alongside water and fish, he found something he'd rather he didn't. Whatever that big carcass was**, it could easily put up more of a fight than Ryder or Chase, even at full health. Chase knew that, and stoked the fire, staring out across the dark forest, hoping it'd be enough to keep whatever was lurking out there to continue hiding its face.

He sat down next to the fire, facing out into the nighttime lit forest, constantly on alert. He was the only thing Ryder had left to protect him, but at the same time, nothing could protect Chase. He often felt alone, as Ryder was asleep most of the day and night now, waking for a few hours to eat what he could and drink. Chase looked up at the stars, the only thing that seemed remotely familiar to him at the moment. He missed nights sat with Marshall or Skye watching them move across. Usually, they would talk about daft things, like Marshall's obvious crush on Everest, to which the Dalmatian would quickly blush and move on from, or their favourite rescues over their time as Paw Patrollers. Chase closed his eyes, reflecting back on the memories of his friends. Suddenly, it hit him. Realisation throwing itself at him like a runaway train. He might never see them again. Chase thought about this for a long time, staring at the sky watching as the moon passed overheard. Slowly, he closed his eyes.

A huge gust of wind rustled through the trees, blasting leaves and twigs down to the ground. Chase sat up, the wind blowing straight through into the cave, waking himself and Ryder from their sleep. Chase turned around to see Ryder sitting him, putting his hand in front of his face. Suddenly. It went dark. Chase sniffed and smelt the air, then gasping as he turned around to see the fire was completely out. The wind blew huge, wet palm leaves all over the cave floor, easily smothering the fire. Chase looked up to Ryder, who was trying to say something. Chase strained his ears, but everything fell silent. He looked at Ryder, trying to figure out what it was he was saying. Sniffing again, his eyes widened. He turned around quickly, before being hit to the ground even quicker. Everything around him fell silent. Ryder looked horrified. Suddenly, Chase felt.. warm. He tried to stand back up, trying to see what hit him to the floor, but fell into a pool of some liquid. His blood. The shadow of whatever the creature was brushed over Chase, dragging its claws through his skin, causing him to scream out in pain before his vision turned entirely black.

* * *

 _00:14am - 7 Days since Crash_

Taking a sharp gasp, Chase shot up, panting and heart racing. Looking around, Chase saw the fire still lit besides him, and Ryder laid out on his side. Feeling around his own body, aside from his paw, everything was intact. Chase just sat, shaking for a while, before rushing to build the fire up even more. Chase knew they weren't alone. And their best bet of surviving whatever it was, was to keep that fire burning.

He sat there, recollecting his thoughts. He knew his dream could become reality, and it scared him to his core. Of course, the thought of his own death was terrifying, it would be to anyone, but being unable to help Ryder too, and then eventually the pups finding out, either through a message, or if they were actually coming to find them.. Chase's mind pictured his own body in place of the carcass he found earlier that week. Quietly, he cried. Something he'd been doing a lot lately. Who could blame him though. He hated himself for doing it, what kind of leader shows that sort of weakness, but after just dreaming about your own, painful and horrific death in front of someone he loved, no one could tell him not to. He cried quietly. Thinking about his friends, how he might never see them again, and how Ryder was getting worse and there was nothing they could do about it. Chase felt useless. Sure, give him a criminal to track down, he'd have it done in hours, but.. last this long in the middle of no where, any sane person would eventually succumb to their deepest fears and weaknesses.

Chase wiped his eyes, sitting up strong. He had to stay strong. If he stopped now, then he'd be giving up, and whatever was watching him and Ryder probably wanted that. There was no way he'd give up when there was the slimmest chance of rescue.. a slim chance that grew in Chase's mind as he noticed something out the corner of this eye, just off to the right, slightly behind him.

A dim, flickering blue light. His pup tag was blinking.

* * *

*Episode: Pups get a Rubble - Shows how Rubble was introduced to the Paw Patrol.  
** Chapter 8: Conflict - Both Chase and Ryder find a half eaten, half rotted carcass in the bushes of some unknown, large animal.

* * *

 **Wow, sorry everyone. I have been sent a few messages asking for this chapter, asking if I had quit on this story etc etc, and I said ages before, alllllll the way back in the first chapter, (really was a while ago now geez), that I had NO intention on leaving this unfinished. I HATE it when you get a really good story and it's left without any conclusion.** **SO, yes. This story will be finished. Likely got two or three more chapters to go, so not far off now.**

 **I hope you like my take on Rubble and Zuma's backstories, as short as they were. (No promises here, but I actually like Zuma's so much, I may make it into a short one shot or something? Might do the same with Rubble too, since he doesn't get a lot of attention in the fanfiction world really).**

 **It'd actually be nice if we could have some more episodes similar to Pups get a Rubble because I'd love to have some backstory to the Paw Patrol. Like, how the hell does a 10 year old kid become leader of a rescue team made of dogs? Anyways, I digress.**

 **Sorry this is a bit shorter than usual.**

 _ **Reviews: (I love these guys, and PMs, keep em comin).**_

 _ **Hannahgrxe:**_ Thanks for letting me know, that means he's the same age as Chase and Skye. Surprises me a bit because I thought he'd be younger.

 _ **Chase:**_ I hear ya. There are lots of fanfictions I'd love to see made into actual episodes. Although some might be a bit too.. graphic and violent for kids tv. Like I said before, I'd love to see more backstory episodes on how Ryder got each of the pups.

 _ **Rescue Wolf:**_ Some of my favourite scenes throughout the series are of when Marshall is a medic, because he acts serious, and it's sometimes good to see that side of a character that is otherwise used for comic relief. Another good episode of him going overboard with medic stuff is Pups save the Basketball game. Rocky and Zuma injure themselves, (well, are tripped by the other team). Rocky gets a cast which seems fair and hobbles off, but Zuma gets his tail put in a cast, and then made to wear the Cone around his neck, to which he seems less happy about. I thought it was quite funny when I first saw it.  
As far as how Jake is handling Adventure Bay, I doubt I'm gonna write much about that. Maybe have Marshall or Everest call him to ask how he's getting on and he briefly explains how he's doing.


	13. Chapter 13: Truth and Hope

Chapter 13: Truth and Hope

 _9:33am - 7 Days after Crash_

Chase had struggled to get any rest that night. Part of him envied Ryder, who, thanks to his sickness, wasn't short on sleep. Of course, that wasn't a good thing, for either of them. Ryder was becoming increasingly ill, a red rash was spreading from his chest slowly, creeping its way up his neck. Chase did his best to keep his fever down, but he knew there wasn't much either of them could do stuck on an island with no supplies at all. Chase, on the other hand, had more pressing issues. His lack of sleep was causing him to do or think certain things he would never otherwise ever consider. One morning, Chase woke to find Ryder's nose bleeding. Ripping a part of his shirt off, Chase tried his best to stop the flow. Terrified, he just sat watching the blood drip down onto the sweat saturated shirt. Staring into the distance, Chase's powerful sense of smell couldn't help but pick up the smell of Ryder's blood before him. Usually, the smell and sight of blood repulsed him, and was actually one of his biggest fears, but.. something was different that day. This blood smelt.. savoury, almost appetising. Chase hit his head against the wall, knocking the thought from his mind as quickly as possible. He limped out of the cave as quickly as possible, leaving Ryder alone, unconscious and bleeding.

A whole week on the island had began to push Chase's otherwise domestic and lawful mind to think of things that made him physically sick. Instead of dwelling on the ideas, Chase burnt the rag as soon as he could and waited for Ryder to wake up. He had some questions for him. In the meantime, he continued to stare at his old tag, sat in the corner, blinking.

* * *

 _23:54 - 6 Days after Crash_

Ever since his breakthrough, Rocky had been working even harder on this project. Of course, now it was possible, Marshall had told the others what he was working on. They all reacted as you'd expect; various joyful howls filled the air around the ship. At this point, any good news regarding Chase or Ryder was enough to send any of the pups into a joyfilled frenzy. Zuma, although happy and impressed by his mate's ingenuity and impressive talent, was concerned about the wellbeing of Rocky. He had been up with very little sleep or rest at all for almost 72 hours. He had often tried inviting him to bed, or to go get some food, but now Rocky was closer than ever, there was no way he was going to stop now.

"We can't just let him keep going without any sleep!" Zuma whispered to Marshall, both stood outside the green and white door to his room.  
"He won't listen to us Zuma,"  
"Owder him to sleep"  
"I can't do that, it'd be abusing my power", Marshall said, rubbing the back of his neck.  
"How? How would that be abusing your power? It isn't healthy for him to be up this long with no sleep, so would it not be for the wellbeing of a team member?" Zuma argued, still whispering. About to argue back, Marshall opened his mouth, only for a brown paw to land on it,  
"no, you set him off on this pwoject, so it's your fauwlt he's up this long. You have to tell him to take a break. It's not good for him". Marshall just pushed Zuma's paw from his mouth,  
"one, I hope you washed that lately, and two, I was going to agree", Marshall said, pushing Zuma aside and opening the door.

"Hey Rocky", Marshall said, walking into the room, only to be quickly grabbed and dragged in. "Woah Rocky, what the heck?" Marshall said, rolling his head a bit, loosing his neck after the sudden whiplash.  
"Wocky? What're yo- woah" Zuma too was pulled in.  
"Just the two I needed to see!" Rocky stood in front of his desk. Next to it were several dog bowls piled high, some still with traces of food left in them. Rocky's fur was messy, messier than usual. Tufts stuck up across various parts. His three bangs on his forehead were spread and flattened against his head. "Uh, wow. Dude.. I know youwe not one for baths.. but geez dude". Zuma said, wafting his paw in front of his face.  
"I need these!" Rocky said, lunging forward and grabbing Zuma and Marshall's collars, quickly yanking them off their necks, both parties responding with a quick "OW" as the collar clip pulled small amounts of fur with them. Zuma stood rubbing around his neck. It felt weird to not be wearing anything at all, despite.. y'know, not wearing anything at all all the time, but their collars were more or less the only thing they never went without. Without them, both Zuma and Marshall felt.. naked.  
"Rocky.. what're you doing?" Marshall said, seeing him place his tag into a slot on his desk.  
"I need to remove your collars from your old collar, so it only has Chase's tag ID", he said pressing a button, causing a series of mechanical noises and beeps to come from Marshall's old tag. ' _PAW PATROL MEMBER ID 03 - DATA CLEARED'._ Rocky took Marshall's tag out of the holder on the desk and replaced it with Zumas, tossing Marshall's collar back to him who quickly put it back on. _'PAW PATROL MEMBER ID 07 - DATA CLEARED'._ Marshall's old tag stopped glowing, now it was not receiving signals from nearby collars.

"Y'know, I've often wondered why I'm 'Member 07', even though I've been here longer than Wubble. Why is he ranked higher than me?" Zuma said, putting his collar back on, looking at Marshall who just shrugged.  
"I already took the other's collars earlier, they can come get them whenever they want", Rocky said, gesturing at a pile of three collars at the other end of his desk.  
"Rocky! You can't just take our tags, what if I had to call any of you, or-"  
"Relax fireboy", Rocky said, surprising Marshall with a sense of sass that was very out of character for the normally collected dog, "we're on a boat, you need to call people, you just yell". Marshall was getting a bit angry now.  
"Look, Rocky. We all appreciate what you've created, and now you've removed all of our ID's from my old tag, maybe it's time for some rest?" Marshall said, staying calm.  
"Mawshalls wight dude. C'mon, we'll sleep in my woom, yours is a bit.. fwagwant to say the least", Zuma said.  
"Guys, don't you understand, this tag can lead us straight to Chase now! And you guys want to sleep?"  
"Rocky, it doesn't matter, according to Robodog, we're still miles away from the Island. It's not gonna find Chase or Ryder yet. You need to sleep".  
"Guys, please. Someone has to be up to keep an eye on it. What if we sail right pas-"  
"Rocky, I'm ordering you, you need rest. As the pup in command, and also your doctor, you need sleep". Marshall said, "you've been up for almost three days solid Rocky. If we find Ryder and Chase, what use will you be if you can't even stay awake?" Marshall asked, letting his voice settle back to its normal gentle tone.  
"Zuma, back me up here!" Rocky said, looking to his mate for support.  
"It was my idea for him to owder you. Wocky, I'm worried about you. I know you blame yourself, but like Mawshall said, you can't help if you can't stand up". Rocky's face turned back to the tag on his desk.  
"I.. ok", Rocky said, sounding defeated. He grabbed the rest of the pup's collars from his desk in his teeth and tossed them at Marshall. "Be sure everyone gets these back. Hopefully I fixed Skye's",  
"Huh?" Marshall asked before having three collars thrown over his snout. "Yeah sure Rocky. Go get some sleep ok?" Rocky walked out of his room, walking straight across the hall into Zuma's, laying out on the bed.  
"I feel, kinda bad", Marshall said. "I hate this. I don't enjoy being in control",  
"being a good leader doesn't always mean everyone walks away happy Mawshall", Zuma said, picking Rubble's black collar up from the floor and placing it on Marshall's head. "Thank's for the help dude", Zuma said, turning around and walking into his own room, closing the door behind him. Marshall turned his head back to Rocky's desk, looking at his old tag before walking out of the room, closing the door and turning the light off on his way out, not noticing the faint red blinking from the corner of the room.

* * *

 _4:30am - 7 Days after Crash_

Something wasn't right. Marshall got up and looked around his room, sensing something was off. He sniffed the air, everything smelled normal. He looked out of his door, up and down the corridor outside. It was very quiet. Sensing movement, the lights above him lit up, blinding him for a moment as they washed the corridor with a intensely bright light. He stood still in the centre of the corridor, inspecting every detail. Finally, it hit him. He lifted his ear, a sound that he and the rest of the pups had just got used to over the week of sailing, a sound that they couldn't notice until it was gone, but was always so obvious. The engines had stopped.

Marshall ran to the bridge to find Robodog still sat in place, attempting various control combinations to reboot the ship. Looking at the screens, Marshall saw that the ship had been off for at least four hours, along with something else. Quickly, Marshall called the rest of the pups. "Paw Patrol, to the bridge. Quickly, don't bother with uniforms, just get here soon please". Without the sound of the engines, Marshall could hear various grumbles and yawns coming from downstairs following the signature beep after he turned off his collar.

Slowly, each of the pups stood up, leaving their quarters, still half asleep. Rubble walked out and instantly bumped into Everest, who just lazily slid his mask off of his face. "Thanks *yawn* Everest", Rubble said, walking towards the stairs. Skye left her room, looking at Everest.  
"What's going on? Have we found the island?" Skye asked, Everest just shrugged.  
"Dunno, I've been awake as long as you have. But Marshall made it sound serious, so we should hustle", the husky replied, shaking her fur back to its normal, fluffy self.  
"Any of you guys seen Wocky?" A door opened behind the two female members, revealing a groggy looking Zuma. "He got in my bed last night, but he isn't hewe now". Everest tried to hold back a joke whilst Skye just shrugged. The three of them walked towards the stairs and headed up to the bridge.

"Morning guys", Marshall said. "You noticed anything when you got up?" He asked; the pups looked at each other, not understanding the question.  
"Notice anything, how?" Rubble asked, the other pups agreeing. Marshall pointed out the window of the bridge.  
"We stopped moving, around two this morning according to Robodog's sensors". The pups gasped,  
"did we reach the island?" Skye asked,  
"no, not yet",  
"so why did we stop?" Everest asked,  
"that's why I asked you all up here this early. I wanted to be absolutely sure before I said something stupid", Marshall explained, justifying his early wake up call. The rest of the team looked as equally confused as the others. "I'm not the only one who noticed something when I woke up this morning, am I?" Marshall said, turning to face Zuma.  
"Me? What did I do?"  
"Where's Rocky?" Marshall asked, sounding a little intimidating. Zuma had never noticed before, but Marshall did actually seem intimidating sometimes, he was tall, much stronger than Zuma was, easily towering over the the lab.  
"Dude, I don't know, why are you asking me? Just call him", Zuma said, backing up a little.  
"Did he get up at any point during the night?" Marshall asked, following his steps towards him as Zuma tried to walk away.  
"I don't know dude, I don't keep tabs on when he goes to pee. I felt him move around quite a bit at one point, but I was half asleep. Why does it matter?" Zuma asked, backed against a wall.  
"Marshall, chill", Everest said, pulling him back. Marshall realised as he was walking backwards that Zuma had been pushed more or less up against a wall and had a worried look in his eyes.  
"Sorry, Zuma... I.. *sigh*. I tried calling him, but his tag is offline, see", Marshall said, pointing at the screen showing the active tags nearby. All of the pup's tags were lit, except for Chase's, Tracker's and now.. Rocky's.  
"So.. where is he?" Zuma asked, becoming increasingly worried, as did the other pups.  
"No one else on this ship, as far as I know, is capable of turning it off unless they had this tag", Marshall said, gesturing to his own tag around his neck. "Rocky was the only one who Ryder taught how to repair the Sea Patroller's engines. Unless some of you guys decided to read up on nautical engineering, Rocky had to be the one to turn off the ship when the rest of us were asleep". All of the team gasped, even Robodog seemed shocked to an extent.  
"But.. wouldn't Robodog have done something? Alerted you or anything at all?" Everest asked, looking at Marshall.  
"Do you remember when we boarded the ship, when Zuma had stolen it with Skye and Rubble?", the aforementioned three shifted about uncomfortably on their paws, "Rocky did something inside the ship, in the Sub Patroller bay. I have no idea what it was, it was his plan, but according to Ryder, there are various control panels and circuits around the ship, other than the main control in here". The rest of the pups couldn't help but admire Marshall for a second, it was so out of character for him to be this deductive and sensible, it almost didn't feel like Marshall at all, that was until he tripped on his own front paw trying to walk towards the helm, earning a well needed laugh from the five of them.

Marshall stood up, shaking his fur back into place. "Anyways, I don't know why, but the only conclusion I can come to, is that Rocky stopped the ship". The rest of the pups looked very anxious. Why would Rocky do that when they were so close to finding Chase and Ryder. Zuma ran out of the room quickly, heading back downstairs. Marshall dashed off after him, followed by the rest of the team. Running down the stairs, Marshall tried his best not to trip on his paws, keeping Zuma in sight. Quickly, with a hiss, Rocky's bedroom door opened. Zuma stepped in, followed by Marshall. The rest of the pups sat outside.  
"Wocky? You in here?" Zuma asked, really hoping he was hiding somewhere in his room, maybe working on the project some more.  
"Look, my old tag's still here, he didn't take it", Marshall said, pointing at the red and yellow tag still in the same place it was left the previous night.  
"So what's he up to?" Zuma asked. Marshall just shrugged. "C'mon, we should go check the Sub Patroller bay, maybe we can start the ship". Zuma said walking out of the room, the rest of the team tailing him.

The rest of the group tailed Zuma, Marshall following behind as they headed further down into the ship, the stairwell opening out into a large area. To the right were Zuma, Rubble and Skye's rigs, parked and cleaned, thanks to Rubble's boredom. None of the pups knew where to start. There were at least 30 panels around the exterior of the room, and each of them housed various systems and junk. "Everyone just start looking. According to Ryder, the ship is electric, so we're looking for some kind of big switch or missing wire"  
"Hey Marshall, I think I found that switch you were after!" Rubble yelled across the room. Suddenly, the room got a lot brighter. "Nope, wrong switch, should I leave it on or.. or.. oh". Rubble noticed what everyone was staring at. He was a bit shocked none of them noticed before. "Uh, guys, where'd the sub patroller go?"

* * *

 _3:11am - 7 Days after Crash_

Rocky looked over his shoulder, seeing Zuma's eyes shut completely, hearing light snores coming from his mate. Carefully, he lifted Zuma's leg from around his body and shuffled out of the bed. Zuma gently stirred, noticing the absence of the other pup in the bed. Rocky pushed a cushion back into where he was, and slowly walked backwards, opening the door manually to prevent the hiss waking anyone up.

' _I can't just stop now, not when we're so close'_ , Rocky thought to himself, walking up to the Bridge. ' _I just need one last thing'._ Rocky approached Robodog, stopping just behind him and bringing out his claw arm. Quickly, he pressed Robodog's puptag, shutting him off. "Sorry Robodog, you'll come back on in an hour or so". Rocky looked at the map on the screens. "We're right over it", he said. He walked over to the controls, jumping up in front of Robodog and attempted to slow the ship. Pressing as hard as he could, the wheel wouldn't budge. "It's locked..", Rocky said, regretting turning Robodog off now. "Fine, plan B".

Slowly, Rocky crept back downstairs, heading through the cabin corridor, walking past all of his snoring friends, all of which were completely unaware of what was happening. ' _If I move quickly, they won't even notice me missing'._ Finally making it past the final room, Rocky walked faster down the next set of stairs and headed downwards.

"Heh, Rubble did a good job", Rocky said, looking at his own reflection in Rubble's Rig, then looked over at Zuma's, seeing pawprints and smudges across the chassis. "Well.. at least he tried", Rocky said, giggling to himself as he headed over towards the same panel he used when he first boarded the ship. "Ok, find the box, get back up to the ship before anyone wakes up. Simple!" Rocky said, grabbing a part from the panel with his arm. "Hopefully without this fuse, they won't sail off and leave me behind", Rocky said, pulling it out, feeling the whole ship fall silent. Carefully, he climbed into the back of the Sub Patroller. "Ok, so... how the heck do I launch it?" Rocky asked himself, placing the fuse down in a container at the side of the cabin. He jumped up onto the seat at the front, looking at the various controls. He noticed an icon that looked like the outline of their puptags. Closing his eyes, he pressed it inwards. The whole submarine shook, causing him to open his eyes. He looked out of the window, seeing the launch bay open beneath him. "Well.. that was easy?" Rocky said, before the entire sub was dropped into the water beneath, sinking quickly. Rocky sat up, shaking his head from the impact. Looking out in front of him, he saw a series of hoops unfold from the base of the ship. Slowly, Rocky pressed the wheel forward, causing the whole vessel to lurch through the loops at a high speed, knocking him off his seat. "Ugh, curse Ryder for his flashy exits", Rocky said, adjusting his hat back in place before slowing the sub down entirely, and began to dive downwards.

* * *

 _4:23am - 7 Days after Crash_

Rocky had been heading around underwater for an hour now. "Come on! The map said it was 430 meters down", Rocky said, looking up at the display in front of him that read 400 meters. He hated being around water, and being under this much of it was bothering him, and he slowly began to get frustrated at the lack of findings before him. "Lights, I need lights", Rocky told himself, scrambling across the dashboard until he found the button that represented lights in his truck. "At least it's consistent", Rocky said, shrugging and hitting the button. "Woah. There it is!" Rocky said. In front of him, outside the sub, the bright searchlights lit up a wreck of metal, coloured similarly to the Sea and Sub Patroller. The glass at the front missing entirely, crushed by the pressure of the water constantly holding the wreck down on the bottom of the sea. "The Air Patroller", Rocky said, sighing. "Jeez, I spent ages buffing that thing". Looking through the windows, Rocky could see a copy of Robodog, completely ruined by the water, covered in algae. He knew robodog was fine, but part of him still felt somewhat mournful seeing him like that. Looking further back, Rocky saw what everyone had hoped. The flight gear rack had been split open by one of the broken wings, but inside, Rocky could see all of their gear, all except Chase's.

Placing the sub into autopilot, Rocky headed to the rear of the vehicle, stepping into the airlock and quickly dressing into his scuba gear. "This is not gonna be fun", he said, shivering as his helmet encased his head. Reaching up with his right paw, he pressed the open button, causing part of the floor to open up. Rocky breathed deeply, calming himself, and then jumped forwards. Down here, the temperature of the water was freezing. Rocky felt it instantly creep through the wetsuit he wore and shivered at the feeling. "Let's get this done and over with", he told himself, swimming towards the wreck before him. Once away from the sub patroller, his pack automatically extended a flashlight illuminating the water in front of him.

Carefully, he swam through one of the windows. He looked around, taking in the environment before him. It was chilling to say the least. What was usually the team's mobile command centre was now just a room full of algae and grime. He swam towards the back of the ship, confirming the absence of Chase's flight gear. Smiling at the little comfort that provided him, he swam back into the control area towards the console. Carefully, he set himself down on the floor, letting his suit balance out the pressure and allow him to walk slowly. Carefully, he removed his collar and placed it in a slot to the left of the yoke. He stood, holding his breath in anticipation. Nothing happened. "C'mon! Work!" Rocky said, pulling his tag out and slotting it back in numerous times. Nothing happened. "It even trashed the subsystems", Rocky said, sighing. He reached his paw out again to pull the tag out, but just before he did, a green light flashed from his tag. Watching carefully, he saw the light trace through the console, turning it entirely green. "YES!" Rocky said, pulling his tag out and placing it back around his neck. Through a cracked, dim, algae covered screen, Rocky saw the words 'Paw Patrol Member 05 - Rocky. Accepted". Rocky stood back as the desk turned off completely. Looking up, he knew what came next. The ceiling opened, and slowly, a silver and black unit dropped to the floor. Rocky smiled. "Perfect". Using his claw, he reached down and picked it up, strapping it to his back. Slowly, his suit released pressure, allowing him to float back upwards towards the windows. Turning around, he took one last look at the interior of the air patroller. Just as he was about to swim backwards, something rolled slowly out from under a seat. Rocky squinted, and then smiled realising what it was. Quickly, he grabbed the item and swam back to the Sub Patroller, setting the two captured items in a container alongside the missing fuse. He rapidly stripped the soaked wetsuit from his drenched fur, sticking his tongue out in disgust before taking his seat again at the helm and headed back towards the Sea Patroller. Fortunately, knowing where it was and where he was, it didn't take anywhere near as long for him to return, with the hull of the Sea Patroller coming into view within 40 minutes of travel.

Rocky went to press the button to open the launch bay doors, but held his paw back, noticing how they opened on their own. "Shoot.. they noticed me missing, of course they did", Rocky said, rolling his eyes and sighing before heading upwards, allowing the mechanical arm to reach down and grab the sub, lifting it and Rocky up into the hull of the large boat. As he came up and out of the water, he was met with various looks from all of the team, a mixture of worry, anger, frustration and just general curiosity. Suddenly, he lurched forwards as the mechanical lift stopped, jolting the sub patroller. He adjusted his hat back onto his damp head and looked back out the window, he smiled and waved nonchalantly, earning only one wave back from Rubble, (who Everest gently tapped on the back of the head and soon stopped waving). Rocky sighed and grabbed the container to his right and headed out, preparing himself for the inevitable.

* * *

 _5:03am - 7 Days after Crash_

Marshall watched the screen, seeing the Sub Patroller return. He was somewhat angry with the mixed breed, but more curious. He clearly didn't just abandon them, otherwise he would have left the engines running or returned, but at the same time, he halted their progress to saving Ryder and Chase, and judging by the message they were given, time was not on their side. He pushed the button on the console, opening the bay doors revealing a pool of deep, dark water in the centre of the room. The rest of the pups shot up, most of whom were napping after being woken up so early, woken by the sound of hydraulic doors moving. Zuma walked over to Marshall, swiftly followed by Skye. Rubble and Everest stood back, looking at each other with slight concern.

The pups watched as the mechanical arm dropped into the water, securely grabbing the sub patroller and it's inhabitants and dragging them up to be met with various glares of worry and anger. Through the window, all the pups saw Rocky sat on Ryder's seat, grinning, even waving. Rubble waved back, happy to see his friend. Everest tapped him on the head. "What?" Rubble asked, looking up at the older pup.  
"We don't know what he's up to yet, don't give in",  
"Everest, it's Rocky. He will have his reasons", Rubble said, shrugging and turning back to the sight before him, seeing Rocky jump down from the back of the sub.

"So.. uhhh... I didn't wake you guys did I?" Rocky asked, his head slightly lowered. Marshall opened his mouth to speak, only for a brown blur to move past him and slap Rocky right across his muzzle, stunning all the pups in the room.  
"What the HELL ARE YOU DOING?" The usual calm voice of Zuma was not present in the room now, only what seemed to be nothing but rage.  
"Zuma, wait. Let hi-" Zuma turned around and glared at Marshall, who just gulped and moved backwards.  
"Shut it hoseboy". Zuma said, almost sounding like hissing. No one was expecting this, especially Rocky who just looked at Zuma, almost in tears. "Well? Any pawticular weason you decided it was best to go for a midnight submawine wide?" Zuma asked, his steeled gaze not faltering for a second. Rocky simply nodded, keeping his head low. Carefully, he pushed out a silver and black cube, engraved with the Paw Patrol insignia on it. Zuma just looked at Marshall who just shrugged.  
"Is that.. the black box from the Air Patroller?" Skye made her voice heard, joining the conversation, butting in front of Zuma who growled lowly, "oh go and suck some seaweed or something", Skye said before inspecting the box. "You went to get the black box? Why didn't you just tell anyone. It's beneficial to our mission, I seriously doubt we'd have problems stopping for it", Skye said, putting her paw on the mark on Rocky's muzzle, rubbing it slightly.  
"It was my responsibility. My fault they crashed in the first place, so I had to be the one to get this back", Rocky said, sniffing slightly, before turning around and picking up another item, tossing it in front of the pups. "This too", he said, gesturing to the worn out looking stuffed toy before him.  
"Officer bear? So you dived down to the bottom of the ocean to get Chase's bear and a metal shoebox?" Zuma asked, "why?" Rocky opened his mouth to answer, but Skye answered for him.

"I would have thought you'd know what one of these is, Zuma", Skye said, pointing at the box on the floor. "This box contains all of the flight data ever made by the Air Patroller and anyone who used the flight gear", she explained, "in other words, all of the camera footage of the crash, where they crashed, and also where their flight gear last sent a GPS location from". Marshall stepped forwards.  
"This box has more information on where Chase and Ryder are?" Skye nodded, "Rocky, why didn't you just let us go get it together? Remember what happened last time I let someone dive on their own?" He asked, pointing at Zuma. "If you got hurt that far down, none of us would have known and you would have died". Rocky looked up, seeing the concern in all of his team member's eyes, but none more concerned than Zuma, who stood with tears on his face.  
"I.. I wasn't thinking straight. I thought that whilst you guys slept, I could do more work. We're so close to finding them, I don't want to sleep knowing I could be working on their location. I am the only one on the team smart enough to decipher this box, no offence of course", none of the pups were really that offended, they all knew Rocky was by far the smartest out of all of them, "so it became my responsibility to retrieve it. I had been monitoring our proximity to the wreck for a few days. I was going to tell you guys, honest, but everyone was asleep".  
"What about my responsibility Rocky?" Marshall asked, "I have to keep you guys safe and do what's best for the team. I have to do what's best for every pup around me. And because of that, I'm sorry Rocky",  
"for what?" Rocky asked.  
"Rocky, for the next 12 hours, you are confined to Zuma's bedroom. You need to sleep. It's making you unstable", Marshall said, hanging his head, as did Rocky, who just nodded.  
"Why Zuma's room?" Skye asked Marshall.  
"Because Rocky's room has all of his projects in. If we kept him in there, he'd just keep working". Rocky just gently kicked something towards Marshall. "Rocky, this isn't a punishment, I'm only doing it because you're gonna make yourself sick and I've run out of options. Zuma will keep an eye on you. What is this?" Marshall said, pointing at the tube on the floor.  
"Fuse. Goes in that panel over there", Rocky said, lifting his paw towards the panel marked 'Engines'. "Now, if you guys will excuse me, I apparently have to go sleep". Rocky headed out towards the stairs, followed by Zuma.

Marshall looked at the box and Chase's bear before him on the floor. Rocky had acted out of heart and mind, doing what he believed as the right thing and it made him feel awful for doing this. Still, he was going to make himself ill at the rate he was working, so what choice did he have? Carefully, he placed the fuse back into the slot on the wall. The whole ship hummed back to life, causing everyone to lightly stumble as the boat began to move forwards again.

* * *

 _5:15am - 7 Days after Crash_

Rocky sat, rubbing his muzzle looking over at Zuma. "You didn't have to slap me y'know?" Zuma lifted his head and sighed,  
"I know. I'm sowwy, I weally am. But you tewwified me Wocky. Diving near the surface is one thing, but going all that way down to the bottom of the sea? It's dangewous even for me!". Rocky could hear the sincerity in Zuma's voice, and remembered the terror he felt himself when he swam through a cloud of Zuma's blood last time the two went for a swim*. "Honestly, I couldn't believe that it was you who stole the sub patwoller. You weally shocked evewyone with that one", Zuma said, lightly laughing. Rocky looked confused. "Don't you dare scare me like that again", Zuma said, lunging fowards and wrapping himself into a hug with the unprepared mixed breed, "I love you". Both of the pups held each other, Rocky finally succumbing to sleep after days of constant work. The sound of his light snores pleased Zuma, who cuddled up closer to his mate and closed his eyes too, drifting to sleep.

* * *

 _12:10pm - 7 Days after Crash_

By now, Chase knew the Ryder's routine. The only thing that seemed to wake him from his sleep was when the sun was at its highest through the day, filling the cave with its bright and sweltering light. Chase sat by him, waiting, holding the flask in his teeth. Despite not showing it, Chase was actually scared. Sure, being on a random island in the middle of no where would be terrifying to anyone, but for Chase to be legitimately scared of something requires a lot of boxes to be checked. First off, he was wounded; if whatever was out there decided to attack, he'd stand no chance with only three of his four paws. Second, it had been a full week, he thought. Honestly, Chase didn't know at this point, every single day had blurred into the next, and it's not like he crashed with a calendar. He assumed it had at least been a week, and surely by now, someone should have found them. Finally, there was Ryder. Chase liked to think of himself as a decent leader for the team, but Ryder, Ryder was an elite in comparison. He was intelligent, compassionate, quick thinking and had never failed a rescue yet, so seeing someone he looked up to in complete admiration and trust laid out on a stony cave floor, half asleep and barely eating terrified Chase more than anything out there on the island. He had a lot of time to sit and think to himself over the past few days, and he agreed with himself that Ryder's survival was much more important than his own. If he was gone, Ryder would eventually find a new police pup to replace his position on the Paw Patrol, but without Ryder, none of the pups would know what to do. Sure, there were contingencies in place for when any of the members of the team were unfit to do their duties, usually another pup would stand in for them. If Ryder was unwell and unable to lead, that job would fall to Chase. But Ryder didn't just lead the pups, he loved them. He brought all of them together from various beginnings, took them in, cared for them, gave them a life, a duty, a home and even a family. None of the pups would emotionally survive the loss of Ryder, and so Chase put all of his effort into making sure he was as well looked after as possible.

Chase was dragged out of his thought as Ryder stirred, the sunlight piercing through his closed eyes. Carefully, he sat up, coughing intensely, causing Chase's ears to flatten with every outburst. His eyes opened, slightly. Looking over, he saw Chase sitting by, loyal as ever. Smiling, he took the flask and patted his pup on the head, scratching behind his ear. Chase let out a pleasured sigh, feeling comfortable for the first time in days.

Chase's eyes were filled with concern and pity for the human, but he knew something that might brighten his outlook. Standing up, Chase walked across the cave. Ryder closed the flask, placing it down besides him and leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes and placing a hand over them, trying his best to block out the ever-persistent sun. Then, he felt something on his lap. Moving his hand away and opening his eyes, Ryder looked down to see Chase sat on his legs, holding something. Ryder held out his hand, letting Chase drop the object into it. "It's been blinking like that all night. What do you think it means?" Ryder looked down and opened his hand, showing Chase's puptag, which was indeed, slowly blinking its signature blue light softly. Ryder wasn't sure. He knew all the functions of the tags, but this was something he'd never seen happen. Sitting up, prompting Chase to move off of his legs, Ryder held the tag in his other hand and used his fingernails to pry it open. Thanks to his tinkering earlier in the week, it gave little resistance and popped open almost immediately. Inside, he studied each of the various chips and components surrounding the blue light in the centre. For once, Ryder genuinely wasn't sure about what he was looking at. Perhaps it had finally malfunctioned after all the beating it had taken over the previous days. Perhaps it was picking up stray signals floating in the wind. Ryder closed it, clipping the yellow star cover back in place.

"Well?" Chase asked, looking down at the tag and then back up at Ryder, "is it them?" Chase sat, his tail slightly wagging. Ryder wasn't sure what he meant by "them", which Chase noticed. "I mean, is it the pups?". Ryder's heart sank. Part of him hoped it was, but then again, he would expect the pups to be smart enough to know that this is a task too big for them without him. He trusted Marshall entirely, of course, but this would be one of his first rescues and it would be too much to ask for one pup to manage. "You once told me, Ryder, that the only things that can contact our tags, are our tags. How can it be anything else?" Chase said, standing up smiling. Ryder knew he was right. Although he'd been broadcasting an SOS to every possible craft he could find, he knew the only ones that could respond were all the way across the ocean in Adventure Bay. But.. if they were responding, how could they be doing it from so far away? Chase's tag had no where near enough power to accept international transmissions, which means they were using the short range transmissions. Ryder thought to himself for a while, all whilst Chase patiently awaited his answer, his smile fading slowly each minute. The only logical explanation was that the pups.. they were close-by. Within range of the short range transmission. He looked back down at the blinking tag, and then back up at Chase. Coughing slightly, Ryder looked Chase in the eyes, and saw the smallest amount of hope the pup had left. "It has to be them", Chase whimpered, "it has to be, there's no one else who could do this", he continued, pointing at his tag. Ryder just sat, watching Chase justify his hopes. Carefully, he brought Chase into a hug, wrapping his arms around the pup. He held Chase for a while, both of them enjoying the embrace, relishing what little comfort they could get. Slowly, Ryder lowered his mouth down to Chase's ear.

"It's them". Chase's entire body shuddered, almost as if it was rebooted. He jumped out of Ryder's arms, skilfully landing on three paws. A huge grin was plastered across both of their faces.  
"It is?" Chase asked, simply gaining a solid nod as a response from Ryder. Chase howled in delight in response, for a moment, Ryder looked worried for a second, but quickly attempted to hide it. Chase noticed. "Is that.. is that not a good thing?" Chase asked, turning back to face Ryder.  
"Of course it is", Ryder said, weakly.  
"So why'd you look so worried?" Ryder just shrugged. "Ryder, sir. There's something you're not telling me, isn't there?" Ryder shook his head. Slowly, Chase walked back over to him. "I need to know what's watching us at night Ryder. I know there's something, I've seen you staring out there during the day", Chase said, turning his back to Ryder and looking out over the swaying canopy of trees outside their cave. Ryder's fake smile faded instantly. Of course Chase would know.  
"I'm not sure", Ryder said. Chase didn't buy it. He knew Ryder too well, and Ryder was too smart not to come to a conclusion on what was watching them. Unlike Chase, Ryder needed only a few clues to figure it out.  
"I don't believe that Ryder. I know you, you wouldn't just find a potential threat to me or you and just shrug it off. I've seen you sleep, you move around restlessly, like something's following you through the trees. When you found me on our first day here, you acted like I had come back from the dead. What is it?" Chase asked. Ryder, hearing some slight frustration and what he could only depict as anger in Chase's voice, sighed and took a long drink from the flask.  
"When I came out looking for you, the day after the crash, I found something in the bushes. I'm not going to describe it because it's awful, but whatever it was, had claw marks. Large ones",  
"You're talking about that half-eaten, half-rotted thing in the jungle, aren't you?" Chase asked, "I saw it, well.. I smelt it too". Ryder could only imagine how badly it must have smelt to a dog.  
"Looking at the tracks, the prints looked almost similar to some kind of cat. Chase, I believe there are panthers, or at least one, on this island".

Chase wasn't exactly sure how to react. Of course, he knew it was some kind of predatory animal, he was expecting that much, but.. a panther? He was hoping for bears. He'd dealt with bears before, it wasn't that big of a deal. He and other members of the Paw Patrol were constantly out on missions, saving stranded hikers who had got too cocky for their own good. The best thing about bears were they were clumsy, bulky, and on most occasions, slow. A panther was agile, fast and patient. He wouldn't stand a chance against one, especially without his gear and his broken paw.

"You ok Chase?" Ryder asked, coughing heavily again. Chase turned around, the fear evident in his eyes, despite trying his best to hide it.  
"Y-yeah, yeah. I'm good Ryder. Like you said, we keep the fire lit, it'll keep it's distance, right?" Ryder nodded, providing some comfort to the pup. "Well, whilst it's daylight, I'm gonna go find more firewood", Chase said, standing up. "Thanks for telling me Ryder". Ryder watched as Chase limped out of the cave. He looked back down at the tag on his lap, seeing the light blinking still, for a second, he thought it was blinking just ever so slightly faster, but he put that down to his illness confusing all of his senses. Carefully, he wrapped his hand around the tag, grasping it and holding it close to him.

"Come quick pups. We need the Paw Patrol right about now".

* * *

*Chapter 10 - Rocky's Rescue; Zuma injures himself during a repair on a ship after sending Rocky away.

 _ **Hey all, hope you're all doing good. Enjoying the conversations I've been having with some of you, and your ideas have all been noted down, I promise. At this point, I'm not taking ideas for this story, because I have everything planned out completely now, and I basically wrote the ending already. Yes, I know, that means the story is coming to a close soon, and I just want to express my absolute adoration of you guys. Every favourite, every follow, every review gives me new drive to continue, and I really thank you all for that.**_

 _ **Hopefully, this chapter was more interesting than the last.. I did change something when Rocky stole the Sub Patroller. Instead of Zuma being upset with Rocky, I was going to have Marshall be angry with him instead. Since he had spent days awake, I had planned to make it seem as if Rocky was becoming delusional, or 'crazy'. (Not off the rails wacko crazy, but making decisions he wouldn't otherwise make, like stealing the Sub). In my original draft of this chapter, I had Marshall distract Rocky, and then sedate him (inject him) and let him rest in the Medic Room, sparking an argument with Marshall and Zuma. Instead, I went with Zuma being upset, and Marshall being less drastic, as I personally think that would have been incredibly out of character for Marshall and I don't want that.**_

 _ **I've had a few people ask why I don't give the other pups much attention in the story, and it's basically because this story was originally meant to be completely about Marshall. I have, obviously, deviated from that a few times, but I try my best to drag it back to his perspective a few times. I actually feel as if I give all the characters enough lines and such, since I even gave Rubble a backstory in the last chapter. In the end, the main characters this story focuses on now are Marshall, Chase, Ryder, Rocky and Zuma. Skye, Everest and Rubble are basically supporting characters.**_

 _ **One question I have also been asked is, why not make the animal on the island with Chase and Ryder, a wolf. Basically, because everyone seems to go for wolves in their stories. Around 40% of the stories I have read on here have wolves in, and only a few manage to pull it off successfully. I believe a Jaguar fits the environment easier, and it would be something that none of the pups would stand a chance against, hence making it an actual danger. (Also, cats don't speak in the Paw Patrol universe, so it means I won't have to make it into an original character with some kind of cheesy name and backstory).**_

 **Reviews:**

 **Hannahgrxe:** Thank you so much, I'm very glad to hear you are enjoying the story. I am actually in the process of planning out my own take on each pup's origins. If you read the last chapter, then you can guess I already have some ideas in mind for Rubble and Zuma. Chase isn't gonna get one since I gave him one waaaay back at the start of this story. I am actually struggling with ones for Marshall and Skye though. It had always confused me why Rubble got a backstory episode, but none of the other pups. And even that was just, Rubble was nearby when he saw a ball, and that was more or less it ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

 **Hauchen:** Thank you so much! I can't believe, (or understand), why anyone would spend hours reading through this lol. But I've been in your position before. I spent all of last month glued to my phone reading lots and lots, (and I mean lots, as in, more or less every Paw Patrol fiction on here), of fanfiction. I'm so happy to hear that I've been able to make one that can make others do the same as I did. It's awesome to hear that the story has you hooked. Hopefully you won't have to wait long for the next chapter and the ending. Thanks for all the follows and favs too!


	14. Chapter 14: Horizon

**A/N: Shorter one than usual guys, this was part of the plan, I'm not just being lazy :P Just need this one to setup the next few, then we're on the home stretch to the ending.**

Chapter 14: Horizon

 _Crimson filled his vision as he swam around in the cold water. Clouds of blood billowed around him whilst he frantically searched for the drowning pup. His mind raced, he knew he shouldn't have let him stay there on his own. His lighter patches of fur were darkening as the red fluid stained each strand one by one. He furiously kicked his way through the water, holding his breath, aiming towards the only blinking light he could find. He reached out his paw, kicking with his hindlegs, slowly, he grasped it and pulled it towards him, much easier than he was expecting. Opening his closed paw, he saw a cracked orange and silver anchor, blinking red, magnifying the already ruby aura around him. Panicking, he swam downwards, leaving the cloud of blood behind and spotting something else moving in the distance. Two golden eyes looked up at him from the abyss as he stretched out his paws, using every ounce of energy he could muster to move towards the other outstretched paw. He was so close now, he could feel the fur on his paw bristle across the other paw. Finally, he grasped it, or so he thought. As he closed his paw around the other, it fell through. He saw the panic in the other's eyes and tried again, frantically attempting to get a hold on anything other than the water around him. Slowly, the other pup began to sink._

 _17:05pm - 7 Days after Crash_

Slowly, a pair of amber eyes adjusted to the darkness around him. For the first time in days, his head felt.. clear. Carefully, Rocky sat up, feeling a weight on one of his shoulders. He looked down to find a brown, short furred paw reached out touching his chest. Rocky sat for a while, letting himself wake up properly. Usually when the pups were woken, it was abruptly, and often very loud, courtesy of Chase's megaphone. At least that was a bonus of Chase being away. Rocky shook his head, the flat fur on one side standing back up, his right ear folding back into place. As he did, he felt movement near him. Looking down again, he saw Zuma's eyes open and look back up at him. Zuma just smiled. "Evening sleepyhead". Rocky's mind took a second to process what he just said, before noticing the time on a nearby digital clock.  
"It's really that late?" Rocky asked? "How long have I been in here?" Zuma sat up, looking at the clock, then thinking for a while.  
"Dunno, 'bout twelve hours I think dude. Pwobably enough sleep, finally".  
"How long have you been in here?" Rocky asked, slightly concerned.  
"Same as you. Mawshall said to keep an eye on you, and I just fell asleep after you did this morning". Rocky felt guilty hearing this. Not only did he cause everyone else so much trouble, but also made Zuma miss an entire day.  
"Sorry, Zuma", Rocky said as the lab stood up, stretching out his front paws and yawning at the same time.  
"Sowwy? For what?" Zuma asked, seeming a bit confused.  
"Because of me, you've wasted an entire day in here. You could've been doing other stuff and instead you had to stay with me". Rocky hung his head, but then raised it again when he heard Zuma laughing.  
"You're sowwy because I got to sleep in? Wocky, dude. I haven't slept in since I was a pup, well.. aside from being ill sometimes. But I was told to watch you by Mawshall, so technically, I'm just doing my 'Paw Patwol duties' dude, and believe me, it's a duty I've put off for too long". Zuma smiled, causing Rocky to smile.  
"Maybe I should stop multi-million dollar rescue boats and steal highly advanced submarines more often, eh Zuma?" Rocky said, chuckling.  
"Maybe not dude", Zuma said, falsely punching Rocky in his shoulder. "C'mon dude, let's go find the others. God knows what they think we've been up to all day", Zuma said. Rocky dreaded to think about it.

Both pups stood up, stumbling slightly as they still woke up from their extended nap. Zuma walked towards the door, letting it open with the signature hiss as he and Rocky stepped out into the corridor. Rocky's eyes took a moment to adjust to the bright, cold light. Shaking his head again, he followed Zuma up the stairs, towards the sound of laughing pups in the distance. "So.. uh Zuma? When does Marshall take off those bandages?" Zuma looked back over his shoulder,  
"Oh, I forgot about those. To be fair, it doesn't weally hurt that much anymore, just when I wun or lie on it". Rocky looked down at his own Paw, noticing a small scar across the front where the fur hadn't really grown back yet. He could only imagine how big of a scar Zuma was going to have. Though part of him felt as if it would fit with the lab's personality. Zuma liked to be dangerous sometimes, and nothing shows off a love for the extreme like a footlong scar across his side. Of course, Rocky would rather he never got it in the first place, since it meant he too wouldn't have one to deal with in his sleep.  
"You ok back there Wocky? Because you've spent about two minutes just staring at my butt", Zuma said, shaking his hips jokingly. Rocky jumped back slightly, blushing madly.  
"I was just deep in thought is all",  
"about my butt?" Zuma said, grinning,  
"No! I was just thinking about.. something else", Rocky said, unable to come up with a better excuse.  
"Whatever dude", Zuma smirked before opening a door. "Hey guys".

"Well! Look who's finally awake!" Skye said, looking up from her bean back cushion. Rubble, Marshall and Everest all did the same, turning their heads to look back at the door.  
"Enjoy your 'alone time', boys?" Everest asked, "be careful when you sit down, it might be -SLAP-", Everest stopped talking, feeling a small paw around the back of her head, she scowled at Skye. "What? I'm just looking out for my friends!" She said, laughing. Everyone else just rolled their eyes.  
"You feelin any better Rocky?" Rubble asked, changing the subject. Rocky wasn't sure how to answer. He didn't really feel bad in the first place, but he did feel different after his nap. "Yeah I guess. So what have you guys been up to?" He asked.  
"Not much, just sat around, chatting. Wandered about on the deck for a while, we had some nice sun around lunchtime", Marshall explained.  
"We had a sunny day and I missed it?" Zuma whined, "c'mon! We've been out here for a week and the one day it's sunny I'm asleep",  
"jeez I said I'm sorry", Rocky said, his earlier guilt coming back with a bite.  
"I was joking Wocky. We get sun every single day back home. And you know me, I have fun in any weather",  
"Or any room!" Everest said, earning another swift slap.  
"We were just about to play truth or dare guys, wanna join?" Skye asked. Zuma leapt at the chance, never one to miss an opportunity to humiliate his friends. Rocky, however, was apprehensive at the idea. Playing that game never led to great scenarios*. "You guys go ahead, I wanna speak with Marshall". Zuma sat down, looking a bit disappointed, but began the game anyway.  
"So.. Everwest, who've you got a crush on?"  
"K ROCKY LETSGO" Marshall grabbed Rocky and quickly walked out of the room.

* * *

"Look, Marshall. I know I messed up", Rocky began speaking as Marshall closed the door behind him, heading back downstairs, "I did something crazy, and stupid.. crazy stupid. You were right, and I put the progress of our mission at risk and because of that who knows if it affected Chase and Ryder". Marshall opened his mouth to speak, but waited as Rocky continued. "You were right. I shouldn't have gone that long without rest. I'm sorry for scaring you, for scaring Zuma. I was.. I am so scared about Ryder and Chase, I.. for the first time in my life, I don't feel like the smart one in the situation anymore". Rocky sat down, letting his head sink below his shoulders with his back turned to the dalmatian.

"Rocky." Marshall placed a paw on Rocky's shoulder. "What you did was pretty stupid, and crazy, especially for someone who can't stand taking a bath, let alone diving to the bottom of the sea", Marshall sat down next to him. "No one blames you for what happened, even if you do. And as crazy as it was, no one thinks you were in the wrong for doing what you did. You got that box thingy, not to mention Chase's toy, and believe me, he's gonna love ya for that". Rocky lifted his head, slowly. "But", Rocky felt his head sink slightly again, "from now on, whilst we're on this boat, you can only work on whatever project you have to up until 9pm each evening. You take breaks, you come sit with us for a while, you eat", Rocky looked up at him, "and.. you also have to bathe, I mean, seriously Rocky.. have you smelled your room?" Marshall said, laughing. Carefully, Marshall removed his tag and placed it in a slot next to Rocky's door, opening it.

"You.. uh.. you locked my room?" Rocky said, apprehensive about stepping into it. Marshall rolled his eyes,  
"You stopped the entire ship and you sneaked out on the sub, I could at least assume you would ignore me again and go back to work instead of resting".  
"Point taken I guess", Rocky said as he stepped in, before wafting a paw in front of his face. "Also, bathing point taken also". Both of the pups laughed.  
"I'll leave you to do.. whatever it is you do", Marshall said shrugging looking at the various wires and junk hanging around the room. "Seriously, it's only been a week, where did you get most of this junk from?" Marshall muttered to himself, leaving. Rocky sighed, looking at the various trinkets he had collected, perhaps it was time to thin his pile of junk down a bit? When would he need a broken rudder or a not-so-inflatable pool. Rolling his eyes around the room, he was looking for one object in particular. A silver and black box, the same one he had gone through all the trouble of finding. Pushing piles and piles of scrap from his desk, he cleared a space, finding the box beneath a forgotten project, long overdue to be recycled. Smiling, he began to affix various wires in place, wishing he asked for his pup pack before Marshall left him to work, as the ports on the device were awfully difficult to interface with when you have no fingers.

* * *

 _18:41pm - 7 days after Crash_

It took Rocky a while to finally manage to get the box connected to a nearby interface. Ryder had ensured that once connected, any of the pups could use it, and thus it worked fluently with both human and pup-based systems. At first, Rocky wasn't quite sure what he was looking at. He had helped Ryder design the outer shell of the box to be rugged and withstand even the most extreme of conditions, and judging by the condition of the unit, he did a good job. But, whatever was inside it was designed by Ryder. Of course, inside the box was just a jumble of processors, wires and other electronic wonders one would expect to find within a large drive of his calibur. Rocky couldn't understand how to interface with the unit. On the screen showed a list of various files, that was easy enough. Flight patterns, flight history, fuel consumption, maintenance history. None of them were the files he was looking for. What he needed, was video footage.

If he was honest with himself, he wasn't entirely sure why he went to retrieve the unit in the first place. Thanks to his sleepless work efforts, fuelled by a somewhat unhealthy amount of guilt, Rocky had already invented a surefire way of locating Ryder and Chase. All the box would contain would be footage of inside the Air Patroller, and its last location, which of course he knew since he had just returned from a leisurely swim through the wreckage. Perhaps it was just part of him wanting to see something of Ryder or Chase again, after being away from both of them for even a week, he began to lose a sense of hope. He needed to see either of them, hear from them once, just to rekindle that spark that had been driving him for days.

With mild frustration, Rocky continued to scroll through lists and lists of various file types which the box had recorded, Flight Pack Statuses, Mission PAW Records, even a file to show how many treats were left on board. "This should be much easier to find!" Rocky murmured to himself. Hundreds of words flew up the screen, his sore eyes struggling to keep up with the flow, when suddenly, the list stopped. He continued moving the page down, but it didn't budge, signifying the end of the page. Rocky kept scrolling the mouse, nothing moved again. He slammed his paw down on the small device, feeling it crack slightly at the impact. "Did I cause all that trouble, just for nothing then? I don't know what I was expecting, but something is better than nothing!" Rocky slammed his closed paw down onto the box besides him. His head slumped to the desk with disappointment. He rested his chin on the surface, looking up at the screen and slowly letting his gaze fall to the unit besides him, which caused him to notice a port that he had completely overlooked. Inspecting it carefully, he found the cable he needed and connected it to his monitor. He was hopeful, and it paid off. Soon, after a few seconds of nothing happening, a new list of files opened on the screen. "Aha! Video footage!" Rocky felt pleased with himself, "at least it wasn't for nothing". Smiling, he sat up. Opening the file, he prepared himself to scour through months of files to find the date he was looking for, but instead, all that was there was one single video file. "That's it?" Opening it, he saw the time, over 16000 hours of footage.

"Two whole years in just one file? This is gonna take ages!" Rocky opened the file. The first thing he saw was himself and Ryder, looking up at the camera. "This must have just been right after we finished, everything looks.. shiny". He began to fast forward the footage as quickly as it could go. Soon, days were flashing before his eyes in the form of a sped up video. Everything moving like blurs. He saw their first mission in the air patroller, saving the Turbots from the volcano island, then the various Mission PAW videos. He decided to take a break, all of the flashing images began to make his head hurt. He slowed the video down, just in time for a certain blue pup to catch his eye. "Chase?" Rocky stopped fast fowarding altogether, the video playing at normal speed. He watched as Chase looked around, seeming suspicious, and then darted to one of the seats at the side of the cabin. Watching carefully, Rocky saw Chase pull out his stuffed bear and jump up onto a seat and hold him closely. "What the? Is he just using the air patroller for privacy?" Rocky fast forwarded some more, seeing Chase eventually leave as Marshall stepped in, causing the Shepherd to panic slightly and shove his stuffed bear back under the seat. He waved at Marshall, saying that he was done cleaning. Marshall shrugged. Rocky fast forwarded, expecting Marshall to follow Chase, but instead, the doors closed and Marshall sat down in the middle of the cabin floor. "Is he.. talking to himself?" Rocky turned the volume up to hear better, "wait.. no. He's singing?" Indeed, Marshall was singing, albeit very quietly. "Wish he'd sing more often, he's pretty good. But, Chase and Marshall use the air patroller for private time?" Rocky just shrugged, fast forwarding. "Rubble too? What the heck is he up to?" To be honest, Rocky could guess. Rubble sneaked in at night with something in his shovel. "Food", Rocky said to himself, rolling his eyes. Rubble pulled out a bag from under one of the seats and filled it with treats. "Hey.. that's why my seat is always lumpy! What the heck Rubble?" He fast forwarded again, seeing Rubble leave and nothing happen, but then stopped when he saw Skye. "Ok, what in the world could Skye want with the Air Patroller? She has her own helicopter, her own wings". Rocky watched with fascination as the Camera switched to show the cockpit area. Skye jumping up. "What is she doing?"  
' _Tango one this is Skybird Alpha, requesting permission for lift off? -bzzzt- Permission granted Captain Skye.'_ Rocky watched, stifling a giggle as Skye roleplayed, pretending to be speaking to a control tower. She was getting quite into it as well, moving around in the seat, pulling back and yelling various flight terms. He then saw her collar blink, knowing she was leaving Rocky continued the video. "So.. everyone uses our state of the art trans-continental jumpjet.. like a puptoy?" Rocky asked, raising an eyebrow as he saw one last pup enter. "Zuma too?" Zuma just sauntered in, casually closing the door behind him. "Ok.. Surprise me Zuma". Rocky watched as Zuma wandered about, jumping up and walking along the seats, then laying down. "Sleeping.. of course he is". Rocky sped up the footage, watching the brown lab sleep on the seats, rolling about. "7 hours Zuma? Really?" He said, looking at the time as Zuma got up from the seat and stretched out.

"Feel a bit left out now.." Rocky said to himself. He shook his head, "ok that's enough procrastination. Let's work this out". Rocky scrolled the video all the way to the end of the bar, showing himself swimming through the windows of the Crashed Patroller. "Ok, so I grabbed this a week after the crash.. so all I have to do is rewind a week". Rocky scrolled the video back, removing 170 hours from the time. It still showed underwater. He rewound further back, finally, he saw movement. He watched Robodog in the pilot's seat upload himself, before shutting down. He saw the entire air patroller lift dramatically back out of the ocean, then.. he saw Chase and Ryder. He watched as they both looked terrified, seeing Chase struggle to put on his flight gear and Ryder broadcasting is SOS messages. He even got a glimpse of himself and Marshall watching from the screen. Turning his attention to the windows, he could make out the storm outside easily. The clouds weren't even grey, they were one hundred percent black, occasionally turning a blinding white as lightning struck the hull of the plane, causing the screen to shut off, with himself and Marshall with it. With horror, Rocky watched as Ryder grabbed Chase and jumped from the plane. After that, the plane was empty. It all happened so quickly, it was as if he just blinked and then both Chase and Ryder were gone, and he was watching the Patroller sink to the bottom of the ocean. He whimpered as he rewound and watched it again. Spotting small details, such as Ryder left the medic kit onboard, meaning if either of them were hurt, there was nothing he could do about it. Then again, Ryder was a genius, so it wasn't like they'd be without nothing.. right? "At least they took their flight gear", Rocky sighed, before looking back up at the screen. "They took their flight gear, which means.." Rocky frantically pressed buttons, backing himself out of the video files and into the Flight Suit Status file he saw earlier. Inside was a smaller list of items, named _RY, SK, CH, MA, RO, RU, ZU_. Instantly, he knew what this meant. Opening up the RY file, it showed him a list of previously transmitted location coordinates. He knew that they wouldn't be transmitting them, as he checked that ages ago, but using the list of coordinates, he could work out their direction.

Frantically, he began to get to work, only to hear the door open behind him, causing him to wince slightly and look over his shoulder.  
"Rocky, we agreed. 9pm", Marshall looked at the mixed breed with slight disappointment.  
"Yeah? And?" Rocky asked, then looked over at the clock. 10:37pm. "Oh".  
"You, in bed, now", Marshall said, turning and leaving the room.

* * *

 _10:40pm - 7 Days after Crash_

Paws moved like a blur as Chase threw firewood on, never letting the fire fall below a roaring flame. Now he knew and understood the seriousness of the situation, and the fire was the only thing that made him feel safe against the peering eyes outside the cave. Ryder looked on, slightly concerned. He opened his mouth to speak, but instead of words, his chest tightened as he let out a deep, painful cough, bringing small tears to the corners of his eyes. Chase turned around and walked over to him and felt his forehead. Earlier, it had settled down somewhat, and Chase had hoped that they were the signs of whatever this was passing, but now, Ryder's forehead felt hotter than the fire that he was so intent on fuelling. His eyes were totally bloodshot and half-lidded. An acidic smell hung on his breath after his body had rejected all of the food he had been given. That worried Chase immensely. Ryder had not eaten properly in a week, and everyday, he slept longer. In fact, it didn't worry Chase, it scared him. A fear that rivalled even that of the panthers watching them throughout the evening. "No more wood Chase, we have to conserve it". Ryder said, weakly lifting his arm and gesturing to the dwindling pile of firewood in the corner. Chase had burned through an entire day's supply in less than two hours, and if that fire were to last, they'd need every twig they had left.

"Ok, sorry. Guess I got a bit carried away", Chase apologised, then folded his ears down as Ryder continued to violently cough. Chase looked around for one specific item. Over the past day, Chase had made sure not to drink any of the water in the flask, as Ryder needed it much more than he did. Finding it covered by a few branches near the firewood pile, he grabbed it and carried it over to Ryder's side. "Slow sips, I remember Marshall saying that slow sips are better than big ones, it means your less likely to.. bring it back up like last time". Ryder took the flask, uncapped the lid and began to drink. Slowly at first, but then began to gulp it, feeling the need to saturate his dried out throat. Chase urged him to slow down, but it fell on deaf ears. Ryder felt some comfort in the cool liquid, cooling him from his core. But then, without any warning, Ryder coughed again, spraying the water in his mouth out over the cave and onto the fire, the flames retreating slightly in response, knocking the flask out of his hand and onto the pile of wood in the corner. Ryder kept coughing as Chase looked over the wood with panic on his face. All of the wood he had collected was completely soaked apart from a small collection in the corner. Ryder kept coughing, drawing Chase's attention to him as he limped over to him, laying on his legs. Slowly, his coughs died down, leaving only a few echoes from the forest outside.

Ryder looked up, seeing the same problem Chase saw too, and it made him feel awful. He grimaced as he touched the pile of wood, feeling it totally wet to the core; unburnable. Chase whimpered, he knew what it meant and it scared him. He looked up to Ryder, who just looked away with guilt. "It's not your fault Ryder", Chase said, standing up and walking over to the smaller, significantly drier pile of sticks in the corner, "but this is all we have left". Both Chase and Ryder looked at the pathetic pile of twigs. Chase, in a vain effort, pushed some of the wet sticks towards, but not onto, the fire in an attempt to dry them out. He knew it wouldn't do much, but what was the point in not trying. His mind was working quickly, as was Ryder's, to try and find a way to prolong the now diminishing flames in the centre of the cave, which itself was becoming darker and darker slowly. But no matter what they did, both of them knew what it meant, both of them had come to the same conclusion; the fire was not going to last the night.

* * *

 _8:03am - 8 Days after Crash_

Rocky yawned, stretching out on his bed. It had been a while since he had slept on it, spending most of his time with Zuma or just not sleeping at all. He looked around his room, and then glanced up at his desk. He thought about continuing his work, but he remembered Marshall in his room the previous night. "I should apologise". Slowly, he rose up and stretched out his legs and walked out towards the door. Stepping out into the corridor, he noticed something strange. Everything was quiet. No snores from Rubble's room, no noise coming from the lounge area. Looking up and down the corridor, Rocky opened Zuma's door. As he expected, Zuma was still sleeping, not-so-gracefully on his orange bed. His legs were up in the air as he laid on his back, tongue hanging out the side of his mouth. Rocky walked over and tapped him on the side, earning nothing more than a slightly louder snore. Rocky shook his head and tapped him again. Same response. One more time? Nope. Rocky tapped him on the nose, slightly harder than usual.  
"Ow". Rocky looked at Zuma's face, eyes still closed. "Wocky?"  
"Uh huh",  
"What do you want? I was dreaming",  
"about?"  
"I.. uh.. I don't actually wemember", Zuma said, rolling over and sitting up. "What time is it?"  
"Eight-ish?" Rocky responded, Zuma just flopped backwards back onto his bed.  
"Jeez dude, do you ever sleep in?" Zuma asked, grinning with his eyes closed.  
"Come look at this, the ship is totally slient!" Rocky said, prompting the lab to sit up and raise an ear. He could hear the engines, so he knew they hadn't stopped. But other than that, Rocky was was right, the ship was totally silent. He stood up, stretching and followed the mix out of his room. Rocky opened Marshall's door, showing the unorganised mess of various blankets, cushions and bowls strewn across the floor, but his bed remained empty. Zuma found the same result in both Rubble and Skye's room. Rocky closed the door to Marshall's room and headed to Everest's. "She's basically the only one other than you that sleeps in past twelve", Rocky said, opening the door, but once again, he found the room totally deserted. Rocky and Zuma just shot each other a confused glance.  
"Did we miss something?" Zuma asked, looking at his puptag. "I never miss calls", he said, holding it in his paw.  
"Me either", Rocky said looking at his own. "Hey, guys? Where are you?", no response. He knew his tag was working as he could hear his own voice through Zuma's. "Anyone?". Nothing. "C'mon Zuma".

Both of them walked upstairs and headed into the lounge. The door opened and both pups stepped into the room, expecting to find someone, if not all of the pups eating breakfast or watching some unintelligible garble on the screen. But there was nothing. Zuma wandered over to the kitchen area, seeing a few bowls out on the floor. "Evewest and Wubble are somewhere".  
"How'd you know?" Rocky asked, walking over to Zuma.  
"Evewyone else's bowls are still full. Neither of them would leave their bowls empty", Zuma explained, grinning.  
"True. But where?"

Both pups continued up the stairs, entering the bridge. "Hey, Robodog. Where is everyone?" Robodog looked at them and barked happily and then looked out the front window, drawing their attention to four figures stood at the bow of the ship, all facing the same way, not moving. "Ok, that looks cweepy",  
"Least we know where they are", Rocky said. "Thanks Robodog". Robodog gave an appreciative bark as Zuma and Rocky stepped out onto the desk. The early morning sun over the bow, leaving the other pups as just silhouettes. "Hey guys? What gives?" Zuma yelled cheerfully walking towards the group with Rocky close behind. None of them responded, Marshall just looked over his shoulder and moved his head in a 'come here' gesture. Rocky and Zuma just looked at each other, confused but walked towards Marshall who stepped to his side, making room for the two, letting them stand in and look out over the horizon.  
"Okay, so.. the sunrise?" Rocky asked, "yeah, it's beautiful guys, but it doesn't explain why you're all stood- wait.." Rocky's eyes slowly adjusted against the bright light in the distance, and slowly, something else came into focus. He felt his heart miss several beats.  
"Dude, you ok?" Zuma asked. Rocky just placed a paw under Zuma's chin and moved his gaze out towards the horizon. "What? It's lovely but- oh. Wait? Is that?"

Rocky took off, running back into the ship, flying past Robodog and through the kitchen. His door opened and he darted into his room, swiping various parts of junk off of the desk, sending screwdrivers and parts flying at a wall. He grabbed what he came for and dashed back upstairs, almost tripping on the deck as he sprinted back towards the group. Carefully, he held out what he brought with him. It was flashing, fast. Faster than it had ever flashed before. Carefully, he moved Marshall's old tag left and right, causing the flashing to slow as he did, only for it to flash faster when it was centred back to the middle. He lowered the tag out of his gaze, revealing possibly the best sight he had seen in months. The sunlight bathed the pups in a golden glow as all of them looked out at the horizon, some showing some tears on their faces. Rocky turned to look at Zuma, and then up at Marshall.

After all the time they spent looking, finally, they had found it. In the distance, a small cluster of black dots showed on the horizon, contrasted by the overwhelming brightness of the sun. To others, they might just look like black dots, but after spending a week at sea, each their hope slowly dwindling as the hours passed on agonisingly, they were the best looking black dots any of them had ever seen. Rocky's attention was totally drawn onto the horizon, like everyone else's. He heard Marshall say something, and then the whole team lurched backwards slightly as the ship increased speed to it's maximum.

Marshall felt the sun bathe his black and white fur, burning away any doubt he had before. Both Chase and Ryder were in reach now. He wanted to get there as fast as possible. He felt a huge pressure being lifted from his shoulders with every inch they travelled towards the clusters in the distance. He sat back on his haunches, and howled in joy. The others joined in, all of them totally filled with various emotions. But all of them knew one thing for sure. They had found Ryder and Chase.

* * *

*One of the most popular FanFics in this fandom, "Truth or Dare" by the talented HavocHound. Go read it! It's pretty funny, lighthearted and has plenty of humour aimed for more.. mature audiences. Not to mention someone began to draw a comic of it. Unfinished but its still not a bad read either.

 _ **There we go. They're on their way. But are Chase and Ryder ok after losing the fire? Who knows?**_ **¯\\_(ツ)_/¯** _ **(Well, I do but that's not the point).**_

 _ **Sorry this was shorter than usual, it's not the shortest chapter by far, but the next ones will have much more action than dialogue, so they should be back to normal length of 7000+ words. (My usual aim is 6500 minimum or something like that).**_

 _ **I tried to make the end of this chapter drag away from Rocky's POV since I think it's sorta drifted from a story about Marshall's struggle of leading the team to a story about Rocky doing other stuff. The next ones will be mainly from either Marshall's, Chase's or a general perspective.**_

 ** _For those of you who haven't read it, I did update my bio to explain something VERY important. I'm moving to Uni in September, and because of that, I'm going to be incredibly busy over the next few weeks, and without sounding rude, Uni is a priority over writing fanfictions. I intend to have this one done before I leave as I won't have much time to update it once I'm there. I'll likely start some other story when I am there for me to do in my spare time, but my uploads WILL NOT be on a schedule or anywhere near as regular as I have tried with this one._**

 ** _If you are ever wondering about story progress, please take a look at my Bio. I update it regularly to try and keep you guys in on the loop. I aim to update it daily, or every two days anyways. And of course, you can ALWAYS message me. I respond to every message I get, so feel free to do that if you want to._**

 ** _ANYWAYS, enough boring stuff; Reviews!_**

 _ **Hauchen:** _Wolves really are brilliant animals, but they are completely overused in fanfiction, and everywhere else, and not just in Paw Patrol fics either. I genuinely was tempted to, but I thought it would make more sense for a Jaguar since they're stuck on a tropical island, and they seem to fit that environment better in my opinion. I'm glad you're liking this, my initial aim was to have the story focus on Marshall's, Ryder's and Chase's perspectives, but obviously I've sorta deviated from that and just added Rocky's to the mix over the past few chapters. Probably because he's one of my favourite Characters and I sort of enjoy writing about him. BUT, I am gonna reduce how much I write from his perspective in the next chapters since Marshall and Chase's POV will make more sense. (Also, I'm not sure why but I'm a sucker for sick-fics too, and episodes where characters get ill. Makes them more relatable I guess?)

 _ **Chase:**_ Ah, my most loyal reader haha. I'm glad people are liking my inclusion of Panthers. I'm not sure how I feel about the sub patroller thing, but I wanted Rocky to do something out of character just to show how much he blames himself, so I'm glad you didn't see it coming.

 _ **amilia13:**_ I really hope I've uploaded this in time. For me, its 3pm right now, so if you're in the US, who knows that might be enough time. If not, I am very sorry. I tried to type this as quickly as possible for you. Glad you're enjoying it, thanks for the follows and favs, they're very much appreciated! Have a great time at camp!

 _ **TFSTARFIRE:**_ Glad you didn't have to wait long! Haha. As sick as it sounds, I'm glad you're worried about Ryder, that was the intention, and I'm trying to really show how bad his condition is, and that will become very evident in the next chapter.

 _ **Well guys, I don't have a set date for the next chapter, and I can't really give one. Keep an eye on my bio if you want updates, I'll keep you posted via there!**_

 _ **Until next time guys,  
PupPupGo, xx**_


	15. Chapter 15: Flickering Embers

Chapter 15: Flickering Embers

 _8:07am - 8 Days after Crash_

Slowly, the sun crept its way back over the canopy before the cave, allowing a certain shepherd pup to sigh in relief. Besides him, a small fire smouldered itself to extinction, leaving but a few red embers exhaling minimal heat and light. Through the night, Chase had stayed awake, unable to take his eyes off of the fire as Ryder slept. Both of them depended on the small source of heat and light, not only for comfort, but for safety now, for it was the fire that kept everything they wanted out to stay out. It had rained heavily over the night, filling the air with a scent of petrichor, but also filling the pup with a sense of dread. It'd take days for the wood outside the cave to dry out to a usable state. What was left of the fire was all they had left for days, and Chase wasn't even sure if they had the capabilities of starting a new one.

From the corner, Chase could hear Ryder's laboured and raspy breathing. Part of him had hoped the increase in humidity might have calmed his throat, but instead it raised his temperature higher than Chase thought possible. And honestly, Chase himself was not doing well now either. Staying up all night had exhausted the pup, and he refused to drink from the flask as that was all the water they had left, and he believed Ryder needed it more. His own throat was turning sore from the heat and humidity. His head pounded from dehydration and his eyes were heavy with the weight of sleep deprivation. All in all, Chase was a husk of his usual self. Unable to collect more supplies due to his new found fear of the jungle before him, Chase opted to get some rest, believing it to be unlikely that a panther would attack during the daytime due to their nocturnal nature, (a nature Chase was having to reluctantly adopt it seemed). After attempting to drink from a puddle of murky rainwater that had collected in the mouth of the cave, he settled down near Ryder, unable to leave his side for his own comfort and sense of security. His mind craved rest, every synapse slowly cutting off as his eyes closed slowly, unable to focus on the rest of the cave as various stimulants begged him to remain awake, one including a rather rapidly blinking blue light. He took no notice of this and forced his eyes shut, finally yielding to the combined forces of dehydration and exhaustion.

* * *

 _2:23pm - 8 Days after Crash_

"What if I scout the islands from above? That way, I'll be able to spot Ryder or Chase quicker than any of you guys, and direct you all to them?" A female voice squeaked excitedly on the bridge, followed by various other voices. Overall, the Sea Patroller was bustling with activity it had not seen in a while. A wave of relief had settled over all of its inhabitants upon seeing a cluster of black specks on the horizon. Now, those specks were gradually getting closer, and with every nautical mile gained, the pups grew ever more impatient to find their friends, and thus had begun planning a rescue scheme, with each pup willing and wanting to play their part. However, for once, the usual talkative and energetic dalmatian of the group sat to the side, watching his friends discuss plans with each other. He had been considering a few of them himself, and a few trumped his plans in fact. Slowly, he stood up and joined the rest of his friends.  
"Guys, settle down", Marshall said, slightly louder than he expected to, prompting the other pups before him to sit and listen. "I really want to find Chase and Ryder as soon as we can too, believe me, being in charge of you pups is a lot harder than Ryder makes it look", he continued, gaining a collection of giggles and laughs from the group at their own expense. "But.. we don't even know which island they're on yet, or where they are on the island, or how badly Chase is hurt".  
"So.. how do we find them, are you gonna send Skye up to look?" Rubble asked, with most of the other pups nodding in agreement.  
"Sending Skye up would be an option, but even though shes a great pilot, the islands are pretty big, she'd be looking for hours and they could be anywhere. Instead, Rocky has been working on a project instead that I think might be more useful". Marshall finished, gesturing to Rocky who wasn't expecting to be called upon. The other pups, excluding Marshall and Zuma, glanced to each other.  
"Well, Marshall is right. The islands are massive, much bigger than I expected anyways. Sending Skye up could take days of searching for them, and I doubt even Skye wants to be flying around for that long", Skye shrugged, "so, over the past few days, I've been working on this". Rocky places the object on the floor in front of the other pups.  
"Marshall's tag?" Everest asked, "we all have tags, we've all tried calling Chase, how's this gonna help?"  
"This tag acts like a homing beacon now. When in the presence of another pup tag, it'll flash, like its doing right now", Rocky said, pointing at the tag which was indeed flashing, faster than before.  
"But.. all of us are wearing tags?" Rubble said, looking around the room.  
"I took your tags out of this one's memory",  
"So that's where my collar went! Rocky don't steal my collar!" Skye whined, "I was so worried I lost it overboard or something, then Marshall came and gave it me back".  
"Sorry guys, but Marshall wanted me working on this project in secrecy, the only pups who knew were Marshall, myself and Zuma",  
"Why Zuma?" Everest asked,  
"Because he walked into my room and heard me and Marshall discussing it. Now, as I was saying. The only tag this one remembers is Chase's, and so, it's flashing because it can sense Chase's tag nearby, It sort of works like Echolocation; the closer we get to Chase's tag, the faster this will blink, when it stops blinking and just glows, it means we're within one hundred meters of it, I think".  
"You think?" Skye asked,  
"Hey I didn't exactly have time to field test this ok?" Rocky defended himself. He continued to explain his plan to the rest of the pups, and how it would be best if either Skye or Rubble used the tracking device on their rigs as Skye could obviously fly ahead, and Rubble's was likely best fitted for any terrain they encountered on the island.

Suddenly, the ship came to a screeching halt, throwing all the pups inside across the room into an elevator-style pile up, however, instead of laughing at this, most of them were concerned. "Dudes, sounds like we ran agwound", Zuma said, "I did that once with my Hovercwaft. Not fun". Marshall looked up at Zuma,  
"C'mon Zuma, lets go check it out". Marshall jumped from the pile, followed quickly by the brown lab as they both ran out of the room and up the stairs to the bridge. Once there, Marshall looked over at Robodog, who looked over with a concerned expression. "Can you not pull us free?" Marshall asked, Robodog shook his head, showing a screen in front of him. Marshall wasn't sure what to make of it, but Zuma recognised it immediately.  
"That's the Sea Patwoller's sonar. It says we've hit a weef. in other words, we can back out if we move slowly. But I think we should check the hull first", Marshall looked out of the window at the position of the sun, it was getting late, he really didn't want to leave Chase and Ryder on that island for another night, he wasn't sure what made it different this time, but something in his gut made him think something bad was going to happen if they weren't there soon, and Ryder chose him for his instincts.  
"Alright, but make it quick. Something isn't right about that island, I can feel it".

Zuma nodded and jumped down the hatch in the floor, landing in his boat which he quickly launched from the front of the patroller and straight underwater, before instantly hitting the brakes stopping just short of a stack of coral. Sighing in relief, Zuma turned around slowly, making sure not to collide with anything nearby. Part of him thought it would make more sense if he just swam instead, but then again, if he had to move something, there was no way he would be able to do it himself. Eventually, Zuma circled to the bow of the ship, sinking enough to see where the hull had collided with an immovable wall of fire red coral. At first, everything looked good. The hull seemed to have withstood the impact, and considering the speed they were moving at, that was impressive. "Mawshall, tell Robodog to back out, very slowly", Zuma said, emphasising the speed greatly. On cue, the hull began to retreat away from him and the reef. At first, Zuma was hopeful, apart from a dent and a few scratches, the hull seemed intact... Until he circled to the other side. "Mawshall! Stop!" The boat stopped instantly, metal groaning from the shock.  
"Zuma?"  
"There is a hole, port side at the front of the hull. Mawshall, if we try sail to that island, it's gonna sink. The only thing keeping it and us afloat right now is the reef that caused the hole in the first place". Zuma explained, sending a photograph of the breached metal to the bridge.

Marshall saw the image appear on the screen and sat down, rubbing his head. "Can we fix it?" Marshall asked, hopeful.  
"Even if we did, we'd need to pump out the water it has taken onboard alweady, and that'd take hours". Marshall looked at the time, they didn't have hours. He sighed. "Everyone, to the bridge, you too Zuma". Within a few moments, the rest of his team gathered before him, waiting for Zuma to join them who took a while longer.  
"So.. what's the situation?" Skye asked, just getting a head shake from Marshall. "That bad huh?"  
"There is a tear in the hull, it's flooded the lower storage deck to the front of the Sub Patroller launch bay. Robodog has it sealed off, but there's no way we can sail the Sea Patroller to that island". The rest of the pups, excluding Zuma, exchanged concerned murmurs and gasps. "So we're not taking the Sea Patroller". Zuma looked up, now as confused as the rest of the team.  
"What d'you mean Marshall?" Rubble asked, gaining words of agreement from the other pups.  
"Guys, something doesn't feel right. I don't- I won't leave Ryder and Chase on that island for another evening. We're getting to that island, even if it means we swim",  
"we're not swimming though, are we? That's still miles and miles away Marshall, it's barely got bigger than a speck since we started moving", Rocky asked, shivering at the thought of being in the water for that long.  
"It was a figure of speech Rocky. We're taking our boats". The other pups gasped at the idea. "I know, I know. Even Zuma hasn't sailed that far on his Hovercraft, but I know we can manage". The rest of the pups exchanged a worried look, all sharing the same thought, until Zuma voiced it for them.  
"Mawshall, we all wanna get Ryder and Chase back too, as soon as we can, but.. that's over thwee hundwed miles of open ocean! It's too big of a wisk to take in our rigs",  
"Zuma's right", Rocky joined in, "not to mention, I don't even think our rigs can travel that distance, and even if they could, it'd take at least two or three hours",  
"So we pack extra fuel!"  
"From where?"  
"I- uh.."  
"Look.. let's just get the Sea Patroller repaired, we'll set off the second the hull is patched and the water is drained and we'd reach the island in record time. But like Zuma said, it could take ages before the ship is ready". Marshall sat back, listening to his team. They were right of course, it was a huge risk to take, but he wouldn't let Chase and Ryder suffer another night when there was a chance to rescue them at his paws.  
"Ryder said he chose me because I had the instinct to make the right choice, and even if no one else comes with me, I'm going to set foot on that island before night. I will have Ryder and Chase back on this ship before tomorrow and in a few days, we'll be back at the Lookout".  
"Marshall that's crazy!" Everest exclaimed, joined by Skye and Rubble.  
"You're not going anywhere Marshall. We get it, we're all frustrated I want Chase back.. I want Chase and Ryder back right now, and if it weren't for that risk, I'd be flying out there myself", Skye said, stepping forward to both confront and comfort the dalmatian.  
"Robodog and I will get started on repairs, okay Marshall?" Rocky stepped forward too, placing his paw on his shoulder. Marshall sighed, nodding silently. "Zuma, how you feelin?" Rocky asked,  
"Good dude",  
"You come out with me and Robodog, this is gonna need a few paws. Also, after what happened, I don't exactly feel comfortable being out in the water on my own anymore". Zuma nodded and headed out with Rocky, leaving Marshall with Skye, Everest and Rubble.

"Sorry guys, it was a stupid idea. Rocky's right. We'll set sail the second the hull is repaired". Everest stepped forward and hugged Marshall.  
"I know how you feel, we're so close. But of course something has to go wrong", she said shrugging. "Chase and Ryder have made it this long... they can manage one more night.. I'm sure of it". Marshall just nodded.  
"I miss them too Marshall", Rubble said joining the three. "Ryder wouldn't want us out here in the first place, so knowing we put ourselves at an even bigger risk would make him and Chase both flip. He'd expect us to do the sensible thing".  
"I suppose", Marshall mumbled, sort of impressed by the maturity of their youngest member. The four of them stood up and walked back towards the living areas, leaving Rocky, Zuma and Robodog to repair the ship.

* * *

 _4:57pm - 8 Days after Crash_

"I mean, I'm not surprised Marshall is upset", Rocky said, taking the welding tool from Zuma who floated underwater close behind him, "working on that tracking device got me in a lot of hot water, and when I finally get it working, the ship crashes? We're so close to them, we can probably see what island they're on, which means they might be able to see us too". Rocky's scuba visor darkened as he began to weld up the first join of many on the hull.  
"I know dude, but.. sailing all that way on our rigs? It might even be possible, but it's just not a good idea", Zuma said, turning away to shield his eyes. Rocky shut off the torch, letting his visor return to normal. Zuma turned back and looked at him.  
"Part of me even wants to go through with his idea, honestly. I know everyone expects me to be the sensible one, but I actually think if you asked me when you originally stole the Sea Patroller, I would've joined you". Honestly, Zuma was a bit shocked at this revelation. He had always seen Rocky as the follow-all-rules sort of pup, (aside from baths of course), but here he was saying he would have wilfully stolen the ship with him. "But.. it's far too risky. The Sea Patroller is one thing, it's made to handle all situations on water and even some off water. But our rigs are made for calmer conditions. I think the only one capable of rough water is your hovercraft, Zuma. After all, when you had to rescue Mayor Goodway and Alex* the water got pretty rough then. My boat certainly wouldn't handle it, Chase's is made for speed and would probably get flipped. In fact, even Skye's sea plane might struggle in those high winds". Rocky trailed off, mentally examining all of the pup's vehicles' weaknesses.  
"Uh.. dude, we have a boat to fix?" Zuma said, snapping Rocky back to reality,  
"Oh yeah sorry". Zuma swam down to grab another metal board with Robodog and swam back up and held it in place for Rocky to bolt on. "Wouldn't Wubble have been a better choice to bwing down with you?" Zuma asked, once again shielding his eyes from the welding torch.  
"Probably, but his tools aren't really made for this work, and I'd prefer someone with more experience with water considering my.. and your recent encounter with it". Zuma knew what he was talking about, just the mention of it caused his scar to hurt slightly. "Why, you getting bored?" Rocky asked jokingly.  
"No, well.. yeah, but it doesn't matter. We need this ship repaired and floating again so we can get to Wyder". Zuma said confidently, letting go of the panel once he felt the weight shift from his paws. "So.. how much longer do you weckon this is gonna take?" Zuma asked. Rocky looked at the work he had done so far, looking further up towards the bow of the ship.  
"About another hour. And we need to drain the hull. We aren't getting to that island by nightfall".

* * *

 _5:00pm - 8 Days after Crash_

" _We aren't getting to that island by nightfall"_. That's all Marshall needed to hear.

After leaving the bridge, Everest, Skye and Rubble all invited him to eat with them and watch some TV whilst they had the chance. Marshall turned them down, saying he wanted to go for a nap. The others, of course, weren't suspicious, as they had been up for hours and with nothing else to do, a nap seemed sensible. Marshall left the room and headed to his. Opening his door, he stepped inside and locked it behind himself. Carefully, he walked over to his bed and sat down and enabled his puptag, keying into Zuma and Rocky's frequencies. Part of him felt guilty, spying on his friends like this, but he knew Rocky had more to say. And he was proven right. Rocky said everything Marshall needed to hear.

Without thinking twice, Marshall geared himself up in his Sea Patrol gear, but affixing his medic pack to his back instead of his normal water rescue pack, knowing Chase was injured. He was tempted to leave his tag behind, but he knew he'd probably need it. Carefully, he poked his head out of his room, seeing no one either way, he stepped out and ran quickly across the hall and into Rocky's room. This is the part that made him feel the most guilty. Rocky had worked tirelessly on perfecting the tracker he was about to steal. He almost stopped himself, holding the blinking object in his paw. Quickly, he shook the thoughts from his head and put it in his pack. Once again, he looked through the door and around the corridor outside. Seeing it was clear, he dashed for the stairs.

He knew what he was about to do, and the sensible part of him was really against it. He knew it was dangerous, and honestly, he wasn't quite sure what he'd do once he got there, he knew there wouldn't be enough room on the boat for himself, Chase and Ryder, and that he'd have to wait for the others to arrive on the Sea Patroller, but without knowing the severity of Chase's injuries, he knew he had no choice but to go and make sure they were OK. He quickly stocked up his medical pack from the supply cupboards on the wall, bringing food and water bottles alongside a variety of medical supplies. Checking over his own gear one last time, he headed out into the vehicle bay, seeing all of the rigs, (minus one smashed up red speedboat), laid out before him. He knew this part was gonna be difficult. He could use any of the rigs, except Skye's. He wouldn't know where to start with that. But he knew which one he would take. Walking past the other boats, Marshall headed straight for Zuma's hovercraft. He could have taken Zuma's boat, but there was more chance of Chase and Ryder fitting in the hovercraft.

He knew what came next would be difficult. Rocky, Zuma and Robodog were still outside at the bow, and would obviously see him if he launched through there, and if any of the pups were in the bridge, it'd be obvious. He couldn't drop through as the sub via the Sub Patroller bay as the coral reef they were stuck on was too close, there'd be no room. The only option he had was to leave via the back of the ship. It was something he hadn't done before, but he knew of it. Ryder usually had them launch out of the front of the ship as it was easier most of the time. Their vehicles lined up better and the only one that could only launch out the back would be the last in the queue. Carefully, he opened the loading ramp at the back and walked back to Zuma's hovercraft. This was his last chance, he knew he could stop now, just wait until the boat was repaired and head off with the rest of the team, but he knew something wasn't right and the very thought of stopping now gave him an uneasy feeling in his stomach. He started the engine, the sound of the twin turbines behind his head echoing around the large room. He floored it, pushing his paw down hard and flew straight up the loading ramp, gaining some air over the ocean below. Landing on the surface of the water, he began to steer away from the Patroller to avoid being seen, adjusting to the reversed controls. By Rocky's own estimate, it would take roughly two hours to reach the island via one of their rigs. Marshall just hoped he was making the right decision.

* * *

 _18:28pm - 8 Days after Crash_

"Marshall?" Rocky and Zuma wandered around the ship, looking for their Dalmatian leader. "Marshall, we've finished the repairs!" Rocky called out again.  
"Hey guys, keep it down. Marshall's headed for a nap. He's in his room". Everest said, entering the room.  
"Oh.. Sorry. We finished the repairs. Robodog headed down below to pump out the water. By my calculations, it shouldn't take more than an hour. Just thought Marshall might want to know".  
"We should probably tell him really", Everest said, shrugging. The three pups headed back down the stairs and through the living area.  
"Hey guys, how's the repairs going?" Skye asked,  
"All done, just goin to tell Mawshall now", Zuma answered as they headed down another set of stairs. The three stood outside Marshall's door. Rocky knocked.  
"Marshall? Sorry to wake you buddy, but we thought you might like to know that Zuma and I are finished. We can set sail again soon!" Rocky heard no response. He knocked again, this time, the door opened. "It wasn't locked? Marshall always locks his door when he sleeps". Rocky said to the others as the three stepped into the room.  
"Mawshall? Dude you in here?"  
"Maybe he just went to the bathroom?" Everest suggested.  
"I don't think so", Rocky said, drawing both Everest and Zuma's attention over to the wall. They walked over and noticed what Rocky had seen. "I doubt he'd need to take his pup-pack to the bathroom", Rocky said. Zuma was about to make a joke, but figured maybe now isn't the best time for toilet humour.  
"Everyone else was in the living area, and they weren't hurt, why would he need his gear? Is he hurt?" Everest asked.  
"Marshall?" Rocky attempted to call him. Unlike when he attempted to call Chase, his tag connected, but he got no response. Marshall was ignoring his calls. Rocky headed out of Marshall's room and headed back upstairs.

"You guys seen Marshall around?" He asked, gaining the attention of Skye and Rubble.  
"Not since he went for his nap. Why? Something wrong?" Skye answered. Rocky didn't respond and headed out and up to the bridge. He stepped through the sliding door and headed straight for the controls. "Robodog, find Marshall". Robodog barked in response and pressed a series of buttons. A radar showed on the screen with a blinking dot in the centre.  
"Is that Marshall?" Everest asked, pointing at the dot with her paw.  
"No, that's us", Zuma answered and lifted his paw at the screen. "That's Marshall". The three looked at the screen, Marshall was miles away from the ship.  
"I thought so", Rocky said solemnly. "He took a boat and he's headed for Chase and Ryder. But without my Tracking device, Marshall won't be able to find them, he's gonna get lost on another island and then we'll have three friends to save", Rocky complained, slightly rolling his eyes.  
"Shouldn't we go after him?" Everest asked, "we can't really let him go and get lost on an island like that, who knows what could happen to him".  
"We could, but he's so far ahead of us now, we'd never catch up, we would just be putting ourselves in danger". Rocky answered.

"He took my hovercwaft!" Zuma yelled, slumping down and folding his front legs, mimicking a human with crossed arms. Rocky and Everest walked over to him and looked at another screen. Zuma had been looking through the surveillance footage to see what Marshall was doing before he left, maybe there was something important they missed. He had followed him through the corridors and down to the launch bay and then watched as he drove his beloved hovercraft out of the ship.  
"Why'd he take Zuma's hovercraft? Why not Chase's boat? He isn't using it", Everest asked another question.  
"Zuma's gear is made to be more robust in the open ocean, as most of our rescues on the water take place in the bay. Zuma's stuff is more advanced",  
"and stolen", Zuma interrupted  
"more advanced than the rest of ours, but.. only Zuma, Ryder and I really knew that, even Chase thinks his boat would fair better than Zuma's"  
"Totally wouldn't by the way", Zuma cut in again.  
"So how could Marshall know?" Everest changed the subject back to the matter at hand, "did you guys ever tell him?"  
"I don't think so. Funny though, Zuma and I were literally just talking about this not too long ago, its strange- wait.." Rocky looked over at Zuma, who looked down at his tag.  
"Mawshall was listening to us?" Zuma suggested, Rocky just nodded. "Dude.. that's so unlike Mawshall. He must be really upset about this".

"Marshall?" Everest attempted to call the dalmatian.  
"Don't bother Everest. He isn't responding to an-"  
"Hi Everest". Rocky stopped, hearing the familiar voice crackle through all of their puptags. "Hi everyone else too", Marshall continued. Downstairs, Skye and Rubble looked down at their puptags, hearing the voice as well. "By now, you've seen I've gone", Rubble and Skye looked at each other and then ran upstairs to find Zuma, Rocky and Everest stood looking at them.  
"Marshall this is crazy, you don't even know where you're going!" Rubble said,  
"I've got a way to find them. Sorry Rocky, I feel really bad about taking it and I promise to make it up to you, I swear". Rocky's eyes widened slightly, realising what he was meaning.  
"So how are we meant to find them Marshall?" Rocky asked, slightly angry now.  
"My tag is still on, and it's not broken like Chase's, you can track mine". Rocky looked back up at the screen, seeing that Marshall's blip was still visible. Guess that made sense, but he was still bothered that Marshall stole from him.  
"Dude, we finished fixing the ship, we're just waiting for the water to dwain out, it'll be done soon. Head back, we'll meet you halfway!" Zuma suggested.  
"Sorry Zuma, but Chase is hurt, and I can't go for another minute feeling like I cannot do anything about it. They've been on the island for too long without supplies. If I get there before you guys, I can get them ready to come home. I can sort out whatever is wrong with Chase before you guys arrive and that way we can set off home as soon as we can". The other pups actually saw some sense in his plan.  
"What about you Marshall?" Everest said, breaking the silence, "aren't you putting yourself in danger now?" There was no response. For a while, everyone thought Marshall had gone offline again, but those thoughts were pushed aside after Marshall responded, taking his time to think of his response properly.  
"We put our lives at risk constantly. Running into burning buildings, flying through storms, walking through blizzards", Marshall took a breath, "I'm a Paw Patroller, I accepted any risks to myself ages ago, and as long as I'm helping someone else whilst being at risk, well that's fine by me. Chase and Ryder are not spending one more night on that island without knowing someone is on their way. I'll meet you guys there. Marshall out". After a few more attempts, the pups gave up responding to Marshall, knowing he'd cut them off, just like when he ran away*. Some of them were actually impressed by Marshall's sheer determination and were somewhat moved by his risk speech. They had never really seen him in that light before. Marshall was usually so cheerful and laidback, but hearing him sound so fearless and serious was different.

"Let's get to that island guys, we can't let him go there alone", Skye spoke up, bringing all the other pups back to the centre of the room.  
"Skye, you're in charge", Rocky said. "Zuma and I will go and do what we can to speed up draining the hull".  
"Why am I in charge?"  
"You're the 4th member, the next in line after Marshall. Makes sense doesn't it?" Rocky said, shrugging and walking past her. Skye suddenly felt a lot of responsibility on her shoulders.  
"Jeez.. is this how Marshall's been feeling?" She asked Everest, who shrugged. "Guess it makes sense why he's been acting so strange".

* * *

 _7:49pm - 8 Days after Crash_

All Chase could do was sit and watch as the last few embers began to blacken. They had been clinging onto life for the whole day, giving off what little light and heat they could but Chase knew the fire was going out. And after all the rain they had.. there was no way he could make a new one. But at that point, a fire was not Chase's priority. He tipped the flask onto the rag on the floor, saturating it with the cool water. Carefully, he lifted it and placed it on Ryder's head. He sat by his side, seeing the sweat bead off every inch of his skin in the low light. He whimpered, knowing Ryder was not well at all. Almost instinctively, he knew Ryder wouldn't last much longer like this. He had done his best to make him comfortable. He was sat with just rags of shirt left, the scraps being used to douse his head with cool water as often as possible. His jacket was packed underneath his back, trying to keep him supported. Chase knew something wasn't right. Ryder hadn't moved at all throughout that day; usually, Ryder would wake up late afternoon, but today, he hadn't even coughed. His breathing was fast, and shallow. Any attempt to give him a drink resulted in spluttering. But even that wouldn't wake him.

Chase felt uneasy. Although no where near as bad as Ryder, he still wasn't in the best of shape. After collapsing from exhaustion earlier in the day, Chase had hoped he would wake up feeling slightly better, but his paw was incredibly sore. His eyes and throat stung from lack of water, his stomach growled profusely at the thought of food, which he had tried to banish from his mind as often as possible. His fur was totally matted into clumps, and didn't at all resemble the usual fluffy and well groomed image he usually had. Of course, hairstyles were the last thing on his mind at that point as he continued his attempts to nurse Ryder. He felt his heartbeat through his chest, it was high, alarmingly so. Chase now knew, and was certain of it. If Ryder didn't get help soon, he wouldn't make it through the night.

The only thing that gave him hope through all this was his old tag, as he had been watching it flash, gradually getting faster. He didn't know what it meant, and couldn't safely assume what it meant either, but he had hoped it meant someone was trying to get to them. Someone was coming for them.

* * *

 _8:22pm - 8 Days after Crash_

The blinking grew faster and faster as Marshall steered towards the largest island. By now, he could make out the tree line along the shore. Natural light was fading fast, and he knew it would be even more difficult to find Chase or Ryder in the dark. The water beneath him was gradually becoming shallower, which was somewhat reassuring. At least if he crashed now, he'd be close enough to the island to drift ashore. The others were right though, it was a difficult journey, and a long one. Marshall estimated it wouldn't take all that long using the Sea Patroller. Zuma's hovercraft, even at its top speed, didn't come close to the power of the Sea Patroller. But it was stable at least. Marshall had encountered a huge variety of waves on his way to the island. Once past the coral reef the Patroller was beached on, the waves began to pick up speed and size, enough to easily capsize any of the other boats, but thanks to Ryder's designing skills, the hovercraft took every wave in its stride, powering on through to the island.

Marshall continued to look at the beacon in his paw, seeing it flash fast enough to make his head hurt slightly. Then, it stopped. The tag lit up a solid red. He stopped the hovercraft, looking at the small object. He turned to face towards the Sea Patroller and the tag began to flash again, turning back to the island, the tag stopped. Marshall wasn't sure what this meant. "Bet Rocky would know", Marshall said. He considered calling Rocky to ask, but he decided not to bother. He knew what island Chase was on, he just needed to search it. He placed the tag in his pack and continued to the island, driving the craft up onto the shore and parking it in clear view. When the pups made it to the island, they would need to know where he was headed. He had no intention of anyone else getting lost on this island too.

Carefully, Marshall jumped down from the side of the hovercraft, catching his rear paw on the side of the seat and causing him to roll out and across the sand. He stood up, shaking his head. "Somethings never change I guess", he said to himself, expecting laughter but nothing came. He looked around. "Oh.. Right... No one else here". He suddenly felt very uneasy. The last of the sun's light disappeared over the horizon, and the once innocent looking treeline became very menacing and foreboding. Part of him even felt like it would be best if he waited for the others first, but another part of him drove him to place one paw in front of the other, confidently striding through and breaching the foliage. He had been looking for this island for over a week, and now he was finally there, there was no way he was chickening out when he was so close. He took one last look at the horizon, seeing the very distant silhouette of the Sea Patroller in the distance. "Hurry guys".

* * *

 _8:32pm - 8 Days after Crash_

Rocky shook himself dry, loathing the all-too-familiar feeling of water matting down his fur, and noting the distinct stench of wet dog around himself and Zuma. Zuma, of course, was not even remotely bothered by it, in fact, part of Rocky even thought that he liked the smell. "How's it going down there guys?" A female voice came through Rocky and Zuma's tags.  
"All done Skye. Apart from a puddle here and there, we have got rid of enough water to get us to the island", Rocky responded, high-pawing Zuma.  
"Good work guys".

Up on the bridge, Skye had taken a seat in the control position, Rubble and Everest sat either side of Robodog. "Robodog", Skye said, prompting the cybernetic hound to turn its head to her, "back us out of this reef". Robodog barked and complied. The engines purred back to life, almost sounding pleased to be moving after so spending so long inactive. Robodog slowly pulled back on the wheel, causing the ship to very slowly move backwards. All of the pups winced, hearing the sound of something scraping along their hull. "Almost there Robodog, keep going!" Skye ordered, Robodog persisted.  
"We're clear!" Rubble yelled, gaining a collection of cheers from around the ship. Zuma and Rocky stepped out onto the bridge.  
"Zuma! I need you to guide us through any more reefs, Rocky, get us to the island, track Marshall". Both of them mock saluted, grinning and walking over to the radar screens. Zuma activated the bow sonar, showing a detailed map of the terrain beneath them. Rocky turned on the radar. Marshall's symbol had stopped moving.  
"He's safely made it to the island guys", Rocky said, everyone sighed in relief.  
"Everest, Rubble, head downstairs and make sure our gear is ready. Pack whatever you think we're gonna need, but if Marshall's plan works, he, Chase and Ryder should be on the beach by the time we get there, but I'm not taking any chances". Everest and Rubble nodded and headed downstairs.  
"Robodog" Robodog once again turned to look at the small dog, "get us to that island. Fast". Robodog barked, and now with a destination, punched it.

* * *

 _9:27pm - 8 Days after Crash_

Any light Marshall had before was totally gone now. Small strips of moonlight fell through the canopy above him, lighting the path beneath his paws with just enough light for him to notice hazards. His paws sank slightly into the floor with each step, the ground was wet and the air smelt damp and earthy, the mud coated his once-white fur on his paws. It had gotten quite cold since the sun had gone down. Fortunately for Marshall, his gear was keeping him warm enough, but he could only imagine how cold Ryder and Chase were at the moment. Sticking his head up in the air, he sniffed deeply. Sure, his nose wasn't anywhere near as strong as Chase's, but still, as a dog, it was pretty good. He turned on the spot, attempting to find a familiar scent of anything that could lead him to Chase. "Nothing? Really?" Marshall sniffed the air again. "Jeez, did he even go to the bathroom here?" Marshall joked, but actually thought how useful a scent like that would be at a time like this, even if completely gross. He continued to sniff, and then he got something.. something... disgusting. More disgusting than the scent of another pup's mark, instead, it smelt like rotten meat, very rotten meat.

With nothing else to follow, Marshall headed towards the scent. Pushing through walls of bushes and shrubs, he eventually broke out into a small clearing, stumbling slightly at the sudden lack of resistance. He stepped out, shaking his head. The area was much lighter, with nothing above to obscure it, the moonlight lit the area in front of him. Looking at his surroundings, the most obvious thing to him was the pool. The water was still, aside from a small trickling source in the corner. Marshall ran to it, taking a long drink. He closed his eyes, feeling the cold water coat his mouth and dry throat. He gasped for air, and sat down, taking a break from his search for just a moment. He lifted his nose to the air again, smelling that foul smell he had been tracing. He placed a paw over his nose, covering it to prevent him losing his lunch. He turned around to see where it had came from. Deciding on a direction to head, Marshall filled a small water flask from the pond. However, as he did so, he noticed something. Looking to his left, on the ground, there were marks. Too big for a fox, too small for anything big. Marshall's eye's widened. He placed his paw next to it and pushed it into the ground, leaving an imprint. Lifting it back up, he compared the two. His was slightly smaller, not by much, but it otherwise looked the same. "Chase..." Marshall looked around the floor, trying to spot more marks, but after the rain there was not much to see. A few paw prints had been smudged and smeared into the ground. There were also other prints, of course, some of the larger too, which chilled Marshall to the core. "I'm not gonna find him this way. If only Everest was here.." Marshall began to regret his decision to come alone. Maybe it would have been easier to find Chase and Ryder if he waited for the Sea Patroller to be repaired.

He placed the flask back in it's holder on his pack, and headed back towards his original source, inhaling the putrid scent again, but not as much this time. He turned towards the source and headed away into the bushes, looking around vigilantly for the source of the smell. But when he found it, he wished he hadn't. He pushed a group of branches out of the way, covering his nose completely now, but it didn't help. He looked down at the ground, seeing a carcass, close to clean of flesh now, only small strands hanging off it. Various insects flew around it. Marshall couldn't help but throw up, and sadly, he had eaten quite healthily that day. He stepped out of the bush. He knew it was too big to be Chase, so that thought didn't linger in his head for too long, and it certainly wasn't human. But he instantly felt the same fear that possessed Chase over the past few days. If something that big could be taken down, what could possibly do it. He decided he didn't want to find out. It was probably a question best left unanswered. Briskly, he walked away from the bushes, rinsing his mouth of the foul taste with the flask of water and spat it out on the ground. As he opened his eyes, he noticed something new. In front of him, the bushes looked strange, the grass on the floor seemed flattened and displaced. Outside of the flattened area, the grass grew tall and unruly, but along this particular section, the grass was trampled. He followed it back, finding that it lead out to the small pond he was at previously. He turned back and headed back the other way.

As he went, he saw how the grass continued to lead him along a makeshift path. The trees above began to cluster more again, causing the ground to get darker, until eventually, Marshall couldn't see anything. He reached up to his hat, but remembered, he was wearing his EMT gear. His hat was just a baseball cap, without his other hat, he had no source of light. He was about to continue walking but stopped for a moment and thought to himself. "If I just walk off in hope of finding something, there's a big chance I'm gonna end up more lost than Chase.. But.. If I stay here..." Marshall gulped, looking around the darkness that was surrounding him. This forest didn't seem in the slightest bit merciful. Something deep inside Marshall was screaming at him to get back on that hovercraft and sail out as far as he could. But not without Chase. He breathed deeply, concentrating. He had to do something. He could call the pups and wait for them, but who knows how long it'd take before they reached him? He breathed in again, but this time, something caught his attention. He breathed deeply through his nose, (thankful that he was now far enough from whatever was in the bushes to allow him to retain the rest of his dinner). The scent was strangely familiar, but not comforting. It wasn't Chase, he knew that much. But it was familiar, and very faint. He stood up, letting his nose lead his way. He slowly placed one paw in front of the other, every step taken with great caution in the dark environment. Gradually, the smell got stronger, and then he realised what the smell was.

* * *

 _10:12pm - 8 Days after Crash_

He was unable to drift back off to sleep. Although it didn't feel as if it helped, his involuntary nap had indeed been enough to keep Chase up through the night. However, this was hardly a bad thing. Chase wanted to be awake through the night. If he had any chance to survive if a panther had found them, it would be whilst he was awake. He would prove to be very little competition if asleep. Ryder on the other hand, even if he was awake, would be defenceless. Chase knew he wouldn't be able to put up much of a fight even when awake. His paw throbbed, urgently reminding him of it's status.

He scanned around the cave one more time, trying to spot anything burnable, anything he could throw onto the last few embers to reignite their only source of heat, light and deterrent against the dark. But there was nothing, except a weak light. Chase wasn't actually sure what this was, until he stood up and saw it was blue. It was his tag, glowing solid blue, but very faintly. Carefully, he walked past Ryder and looked at his tag. He tried turning it on, but there was nothing, no response whatsoever. He sighed, sitting down and looking at the device solemnly. He still held hope that it meant something. It hadn't made a sound since it randomly turned on days ago. Part of him was thankful of that, as the sound it did make wasn't exactly pleasant to say the least. He looked at Ryder's old pup-pad. He didn't even bother attempting to do anything with that. It was busted open and cannibalised alongside his tag.

Suddenly, Chase shot upright, his ears twitching. He dropped the tag on the floor and walked back over to Ryder. His heart raced, hearing various sounds of leaves rustling outside the cave. There was a growl, not a loud one, but enough for Chase to tense up more. He prepared himself to launch. If he was going to die here, he wasn't going to do it without fighting with every last drop of strength he had left. He laid himself down, close to the floor and bared his teeth, but stayed completely silent. The leaves began to rustle more, twigs snapped and branches moved out of the way. He focused his eyes on the moving bushes, staying completely still. Suddenly, with every ounce of power his muscles had, Chase lunged head first into the bush, landing on the creature inside and held it in place. He growled heavily, fiercely showing off his teeth, but then... stopped.

"Chase?" The creature beneath him spoke, winded and terrified. Chase said nothing in response, looking up and down along the creature's body. Spots covered it head to toe, a familiar emblem was suspended around it's neck. Chase collapsed onto it, crying deeply. "Marshall!"  
"Chase! Oh god you're ok?!" Marshall cried too, holding his friend close. "We've all been so worried about you and Ryder, the others are on their way. I came ahead to get you fixed up. Ryder said you weren't doing to well". Chase stood up, looking at Marshall, noticing the medical gear he brought with him.  
"You need to come with me right now", Chase stood up and walked back into the cave.  
"This is where you've been living?" Marshall asked, looking around the stone room.  
"Yeah. And trust me, it's not as comfortable as it looks". Chase stopped walking, Marshall bumped into him. Chase didn't move or say anything, but instead drew Marshall's focus forwards.  
"Ryder?" Marshall looked at the limp form in front of him, a shell of the usually active and optimistic 10 year old. "Chase what happened?"  
"He began to get sick over the week, I've been doing everything I could. I've been getting fish and water from a nearby pond",  
"Yeah I was there not to long ago",  
"But everyday he just gets worse and worse and there's nothing I can do. Marshall, help him".

Marshall sat down besides Ryder, removing what was left of his shirt, exposing his bare chest. Instantly, Marshall saw a deep red rash that had spread across his chest and seemed to go further down his body. Sparing Ryder some shame, Marshall just assumed it covered his body entirely. He removed a stethoscope from his pack and placed it on his chest. He listened to the heartbeat, and it worried him immensely, as did the sound of his breathing. His breaths were shallow and fast paced, as if he had just been running. Marshall didn't like this, his temperature was up above even standard fever levels, and because of the Rash, he had an idea for what it was.

"We need to get him home, now. I can't do anything here and even on the Sea Patroller, I can't do much, maybe get him stable", Marshall said, standing up and packing away his gear. "Skye, how far away are you? This is urgent" Chase felt his heart flip again, hearing Skye's voice.  
"We're pulling up to shore now Marshall!"  
"Get in your rig, head to my location, Ryder needs taking back home fast". Skye hung up.  
"The Sea Patroller? You guys stole the boat?" Chase asked,  
"Yeah yeah, long story. And actually, it was Zuma and Skye who stole it, Rubble sort of helped but I don't think he fully understood how serious it was. We got your message in Morse Code, Skye and Zuma decoded it and stole the boat, we chased them and now here we all are". Marshall looked at Chase, and noticed his leg. It was raised off the ground constantly, held up by a strap. "Let me see that". Chase held out his paw, Marshall took out his X-Ray screen. "It's totally broken without a doubt, but-"  
"Ryder twisted it back in place. It was broken when we crashed". Marshall looked at the bones.  
"Chase.. If this isn't sorted properly, your bones are gonna heal like this.."  
"Then sort it?" Chase said quietly.  
"I can't. Not without better equipment and sedative", Chase sighed.  
"Oh.. that's what you meant.."  
"Sorry Chase".  
"How'd you find me anyways?" Chase asked, placing his paw back in the makeshift sling, before Marshall look it back and began to bandage it, causing Chase to wince at the sharp pains.  
"Well... it's a long story, but Rocky made a device out of my old tag", Marshall brought out the tracking device. Chase noticed that it was glowing a solid red, pulling his paw away for a second, he walked over and picked his up and placed it in front of himself and Marshall. "He made it send a signal to every collar it could, even if they couldn't respond. He deleted our tags from its memory, leaving yours. Eventually, we found the islands and this one led me to this one. Then, I just wandered around. That's when I smelled smoke". Chase looked over to the fire. It was totally gone now. Not even one ember left.  
"Marshall.. that reminds me... we're not safe here".

* * *

*Episode - Pups and the Lighthouse Boogie - Mayor Goodway and Alex are trapped on a rowboat in the bay whilst there's a storm. There is a scene showing Zuma and Ryder crossing the bay over very strong waves. Also shows that Skye struggles flying in strong winds.  
*Episode - Pups Save a Friend - Marshall overhears the others saying things about a TV villain and mistakes it for criticism for his clumsiness, and leaves the Paw Patrol and disables his puptag after Ryder calls him. _(Very VERY good story based on an alternative version of his called Marshall Gone Missing. Has the most favourites in the Paw Patrol category. If you haven't read it, go and do that! Who knows, by the time you've finished, I might have gotten started on the next chapter lol)._

* * *

 ** _GOOD LORD that took a long time. I am SO sorry to everyone who has been following this story. I know it's been ages since I released the last chapter, and believe me when I say it's been there, nagging me every single day. As I said, my plans for this chapter were corrupted because of some stupid mistake I made when updating something. (Least it's updated :| )_**

 ** _So many people have sent me such fantastic messages in regards to my University news, and I am genuinely touched by all of them. You are all genuinely fantastic people._**

 ** _Reviews:_**

 **Guest:** _Chase and Ryder's situations may still change :)_

 **Guest:** _I'm not too sure if I'll be making much more SkyexChase references for now. Maybe in the epilogue? But for now I'd rather focus on the story at hand._

 **Rescue Wolf:** _I'm not a big fan of characters dying, but if I'm totally honest, I was considering it for this story, but I doubt I'll kill any characters off, so no worries there. (Also, I don't think I'd have the guts to kill main characters like that)._

 **Hauchen:** _I really appreciate that! I used to write a lot when I was younger, but it was never public like this, so I'm glad that it's coming back to me haha. It's odd, I've never found anyone with Rubble as their favourite pup. Sadly, I can never think of much to write for him, so I just place him in here and there, but for your sake, I'll try and make him a bit more prominent in the next chapter, or at least have a more pivotal role? Not sure I'll work on it. And thank you so much, I'm looking forward to uni._

 **To everyone who was favorited and followed this story and my profile, thank you so much! It means a lot to me to know that so many people appreciate my story. (Plus, I know there would be more people to disappoint should I suddenly stop writing, so it prevents me from doing that lol).**

 **I am no longer sticking this story to a schedule of sorts as my University stuff as taken an obvious priority over it, sorry guys. I will work on it when I can, and get the next chapters out as soon as I can, (I think the next one is the last, but I might split it into two more instead..) plus I might add an epilogue. Not sure.**

 **Always PM me any questions or feedback, (yes, even negative). I love answering PMs and Reviews, interacting with you guys is fun.**

 **My move out date to Uni is the 15th of September, so as that day gets closer, my time will become less and less available.**

 _ **KEEP AN EYE ON MY PROFILE PAGE. I UPDATE IT WHENEVER I CAN, AND IT'S THE BEST WAY TO KEEP UPDATED ON THE STORY'S PROGRESS!**_

 _ **Until next time guys,  
PupPupGo xx**_


	16. Chapter 16: Nightfall

_**A/N: Due to a helpful comment, the ending of this chapter has been altered after it was uploaded.**_

Chapter 16: Nightfall

 _10:32pm - 8 Days after Crash_

Skye could sense the urgency in Marshall's voice, something wasn't right. "Rubble, Everest, you two are with me. Rocky, Zuma, stick with the boat. One of you get Marshall's medical room prepped, the other needs to guide me, Rubble and Everest to Marshall's location". Rocky and Zuma just looked at each other. Zuma whispered to Rocky,  
"Do you know how to prep a medical room?" Rocky just shrugged,  
"Can't be that hard I guess". Skye, Rubble and Everest ran downstairs to the launch bay, Skye instantly diving to her rig and starting the engines, which were closely echoed by Rubble's rumbling construction rig soon after.  
"Um.. Skye.. I don't have a rig here", Everest said, looking around at the variety of vehicles, non of which seeming suitable for this mission.  
"We need you for your tracking skills, get in with Rubble", Skye answered. Rubble budged aside slightly, making room for the relatively larger dog. "Ok, from what I can tell, we need to get Ryder back here as fast as we can. Something has happened to him". Everest and Rubble looked concerned. It wasn't often that something bad happened to Ryder as it rarely seemed possible. Ryder was always so thought out and planned, so well coordinated. It was hard to imagine something bad happening to him, and that's why the pups were more determined to get to him than ever. Skye grabbed a stretcher from a nearby supply shelf marked by Marshall's insignia and stowed it in the underside of her chopper, ready for deployment. "We need to move fast and get them back here as soon as possible. Don't let anything else stop you". The front of the Sea Patroller opened, revealing the shore in front of them. Robodog had partially beached the ship, allowing Rubble to easily drive his rig down the ramp and onto shore whilst Skye flew out ahead.  
" _Head west, according to this satellite image, there should be a small pond nearby. Marshall is about 300 meters north of that",_ Rocky's voice came through Skye's puptag.  
"Thanks Rocky, see if you can help Zuma ready the medical room. I'm not sure what you need to do, but it needs to be prepared for both Chase and Ryder", Skye responded.  
" _See you soon guys",_ Rocky answered before turning off his tag.

Zuma stood in the medical room, looking around. Honestly, he had no idea where to start. Against one wall were two beds, already cleaned and seemingly ready to use. The floors looked clean and so did all the surfaces. There were cupboards on the other side of the room along a counter with a step up, likely to allow Marshall or the other pups to reach the surfaces. Zuma opened the cupboards, inside, there were shelves filled with various equipment. "Geez, Wyder likes to keep things stocked up. What is this? Antivenom? Severe burwns kits? What does he think we're going to do?" Zuma sat back, looking at everything. He had no idea what Marshall was gonna need, where would he even start. He began taking out things he expected to be used, like bandages and cotton swabs, shrugging as he read labels and placed things on a nearby cart. Rocky walked in and watched as Zuma filled the cart with useless junk, most of which he was sure Marshall was not going to need.  
"Zuma... Do you really think Marshall is gonna need to use an 'arctic heat blanket?" Rocky asked, Zuma just turned to look at the pile of equipment he had gathered.  
"Heck if I know dude. Put me in fwont of the controls for any ship, and I'll sail you anywhere, ask me to dive to the bottom of the sea and I could do it with my eyes closed. I'm no doctor! I've only ever been in here hurwt". Zuma said frustrated. Rocky just rolled his eyes and began to move some items back into the cupboards, organising them back into their correct places, and then brought out the correct equipment. "You seem to know a lot about this Wocky?" Rocky just shrugged again. Zuma watched with fascination as Rocky effortlessly moved across the room, collecting various pieces of equipment. Bandages, syringes, various solutions and ointments, Rocky really seemed to know what he was doing. "How do you know so much about this?" Zuma was impressed to say the least, but to be fair, Rocky seemed to know everything about anything he's asked in the past, but Marshall always seemed to be the one to ask about anything medical. Rocky began to wipe down the beds.  
"I used to spend a lot of time in vets, helping out where I could", Rocky answered without much emotion. Zuma picked up on this, and decided it best not to pry. He just sat and watched as Rocky dutifully cleaned the surfaces around the room. He had never really thought about Rocky's past. From his perspective, Rocky was always a part of the Paw Patrol. He was there when Ryder found him and when he joined, just like Chase, Marshall and Skye. Actually, apart from Rubble, he didn't really know any of their pasts. Of course, he knew it wasn't his place to ask. Maybe they didn't share for a reason. He knew his own story wasn't exactly a happy one, and neither was Rubble's, what if the other's were in the same boat? But Rocky really seemed at home with what he was doing. He moved around with as much confidence as Marshall would in this environment. It was sort of impressive to the lab that everytime he thought he knew enough of the mixed breed, he'd find something new. Rocky sat down next to Zuma, breaking his train of thought. "There. As far as I know, this should do. I'm not sure of how to set things up for humans, but Chase should be okay I guess?". Zuma kept quiet. Rocky noticed this and sighed. "You want to ask something?" Rocky said, causing Zuma's heart to skip a beat.  
"Um.. no no it's fine". Rocky sat silently.  
"I used to live in Foggy Bottom".  
"Wocky, you don't have to tell me anything"  
"If we're mates, we should know everything there is to know. I know about your story, you should know mine". Zuma stayed silent.

"I used to live in Foggy Bottom, not in a house, on the streets, like most of the pups in the patrol now I guess. Seems to be a common thing amongst us. Anyways, I used to live on the streets. I was kicked out of my home the second I was born, within hours of being born, I was the runt. They didn't want me, so.. they put me in a box and placed me down some old abandoned alleyway. I never saw my Mom or my Dad, and because of that, even I don't know what breeds I'm made up of. I don't know how I survived for a few weeks really, but I got very sick very fast. I couldn't eat anything.. I was too young to eat anything but liquids. And because I'm mixed, people didn't know how to react to me. I think they thought I was dangerous... Anyway, those who did think I was dangerous, would walk away. Some people would throw things at me, and not stuff like newspapers, I mean bottles, rocks, whatever they had to hand to get me away". Rocky took a breath, staying calm. "One day, I was found by a group of children. At first, I thought they were nice. I always thought children were nice, how could anything so young possibly be bad? I would do what they said, rolling over, sitting, barking. They even brought me food sometimes. Honestly, I thought I was having fun. Until they began to ask me to do other things. It started off with small things, one day, they threw a ball for me to chase. When I picked it up, I tasted it and realised it was soaked in something... well I'm not going to say what but it wasn't nice". Zuma looked disgusted, knowing exactly what he was talking about. "They would take me for 'walks' through places in town that were not dog-friendly. The local parks were full of people who were horrified by the sight of a dog in their park. In fact, throughout my whole time living there, and all the times we've been to Foggy Bottom on rescues, have you ever seen another pup?" Zuma thought for a second.  
"Actually... no? I haven't". Zuma answered.  
"So imagine the disgust when someone brings one through the most popular place in the town. People would yell things at both me and the kids I was stuck with. They did this often. I tried my best to ignore some of the things that were said to me. Runt seemed to be the most popular word, after a while I just accepted it.. Even to the point where the kids would call me by it, as my name. Of course, I had no name at that point, so Runt was as good as any. One day, we were walking through the park, I was ignoring all the usual call outs and disgraced looks, but the kids seemed to love every second of it. It was almost as if the attention they were getting seemed like fame to them. But it came at an expense. They didn't want their 'fame' to become a way for the people of Foggy Bottom to kick them out for favouring a dog like me, so, they did as they were told. Walking through the park, I shifted off to a nearby lamppost or wall or something, I don't exactly remember, and did my business. Some people saw me and yelled at the children. I expected them to defend me honestly. A pup peeing on something is hardly a punishable thing. But they boys took their side, not mine. They kicked me. Hard. So hard it left a bruise for days. I struggled to walk away from them, as the other people in the park cheered them on. They kicked me again, and again and again. Not stopping even when I was unable to move. Eventually, the stopped out of boredom. They dropped the lead and walked away from me. Not wanting to have anything to do with me anymore. They had their fun". Zuma sat, completely horrified at what he heard, almost seething in anger. To think the amount of times they had helped their neighbouring town, the very people who did this to Rocky, made him angry beyond belief, but.. he stayed quiet, hiding his anger from Rocky, allowing him to continue his story.

"Someone in the crowd was watching apparently. They saw me being beaten within an inch of my life and waited for it to stop. When it did, and everyone else cleared away, she approached me. She never said her name, but she picked me up. I was terrified. After what had just happened, I couldn't trust another person again, ever. She lifted me up and hid me inside her coat. I didn't know where she was taking me, all I could do was stay silent, not wanting to risk making her angry. When she opened her coat, I dropped out onto a table. She removed her coat completely, and began to examine me. Turns out, this woman was a vet. She stood by and watched me get beaten, then took me in afterwards. To this day I'm not sure how I feel about that." Rocky took a break for a moment, thinking about the woman. Zuma understood his confused feelings for her. He could feel grateful that someone would help him, but at the same time, she stood at the side and did nothing, so how good of a person could she be? "She patched me up. Bandaged me, even micro-chipped me. Fed me and then, when I thought all was going well, she dumped me outside the backdoor, and closed it. Apparently, she felt pity on me for no more than two hours. But it was still more than anyone had ever given me before".  
"So... how did you end up in Adventure Bay? Or how did Wyder find you? Did he find you in Foggy Bottom, or did you-" Rocky just looked at him, patiently waiting. "Oh.. sowwy.. keep going".  
"After being put back out on the streets, I avoided people to the best of my ability. I spent months living under a dumpster down a alley near the vets I was in. It wasn't so bad. A nearby vent kept me warm when it was working, the restaurant would often dump scraps in the dumpster. After a while I figured out how to open it and I had enough to eat. But eventually, that caused me to get ill, very very ill. I couldn't walk properly, or see or hear. I was constantly sick. I tried to go to the vets again, but it was shut. Permanently. Apparently, the owner mistreated the animals she took in. But when I got there, all I found were the kids that attacked me the months before. They instantly knew it was me, and of course, took no pity at all. They kicked me again, I couldn't do anything. I felt one of my bones crack under the shoes of the largest one, leaving my rear leg useless. When they finally left me, they dumped me in a deep pothole, filled with water, I could barely stand, the water came up to my eyes and all I could do was panic and splash around, eventually grabbing the side and struggled to pull myself out. It took me three hours to move away from the front of the vet. I scrambled under the dumpster and hid. I cried all night under there and decided I had no life to live in Foggy Bottom. The second the streets were clear, I limped out and along the road towards anywhere else. Turns out the road led to Adventure Bay. It literally took me four days to make it to town, one of my legs dragging behind me. I looked around town for a short time. I tried to stay hidden to the best of my ability, not knowing if the people were as bad. But one of them found me. She was young, very pretty and very nice. I had felt tricked before so I didn't know what to do, but she offered to help me and at this point it was take the chance of her helping me, or go and die somewhere". Zuma gulped, but nodded, urging him to continue. "I went with her, and she helped me. Turns out that girl was Katie. She was friends with Ryder at that point and had only been the vet for the Paw Patrol for about two months. She fixed me up, better than any vet could. My leg hurt but it was more or less usable. She bathed me, of course to my displeasure", Rocky rolled his eyes, "I expected her to dump me out on the street but instead she placed me in a back room and let me rest. And after four days of wandering up a street, rest was all I needed. That and food, which she gave me later".  
"So.. did Wyder find you in Katie's.. Did he adopt you from her?"  
"Not quite.. Throughout one of the nights, there was a storm. Katie slept in the clinic with me to keep me company. The day after, she let me out to deal with personal matters and I saw the beach. It was the first time I had actually seen a beach, and I was amazed. Still, the ocean terrified me, just as it sort of does to this day, but my focus was drawn to the sand. It was dirty, covered in all sorts of mess. Something inside me knew it wasn't right so I began to drag things out of the sand and pile them up. I used old boxes and blankets to hold stuff and Katie helped me haul it to the kerb. She left me to keep working and called Ryder. Ryder came down with Chase, Marshall and Skye. At first, I was terrified. Another human was one thing, but I had never met another dog, nevermind three of them. I never said a word to them, but they were more than happy to help me. They never judged me for being mixed, they didn't care about me being the 'runt' of my litter. They just wanted someone to play with. In fact it was one of the few times Chase actually seemed... normal?" Rocky said grinning. Zuma understood what he meant, sometimes, the Shepherd like to let his hair down, just act like the pup he was and play, instead of being uptight and clinging to rules. "With their help, I cleared the beach in a day, and Ryder was impressed. He talked to Katie who was more than happy to let Ryder have me. She chipped me and Ryder chose my name. He said it was because of my fur, and how it matched the rocks on the beach. And that's it. From that point, I began to become close friends with Chase Marshall and Skye, soon I got my puptag, gear and my truck". Rocky took a deep breath. Zuma was shocked. Rocky had always been so... upbeat most of the time. Sure, not as upbeat as Marshall, but he never seemed upset at much. How could he had been hiding something like that so well? But then again, Zuma was hiding the same thing. How did Rocky know about his story?

"Wocky... that was"  
"Don't give me the whole 'sorry about that' shtick. I never understood why someone would be sorry for-" Zuma cut him off, pulling him into a deep hug, holding him tightly. Rocky felt his prickle slightly, a tear forming in one of them. He squeezed his eyes shut, pushing the water back and hiding the tear.  
"I love you", Zuma said.  
"Love you too Zuma".  
" _Is that medical room prepped? We're on our way back now and Ryder is not good"._ Zuma and Rocky let go of each other.  
"Yeah Skye, Wocky set it all up. What's wrong?"  
" _No time to explain, just be ready to help move him, meet us on the deck".  
"_Got it", both pups responded and headed outside.  
"This doesn't sound good".

* * *

 _10:27pm - 8 Days after Crash_

Marshall paced the mouth of the cave, waiting to hear the familiar sound of helicopter blades in the air whilst listening to Chase. "So... without the fire, we're basically left wide open", Chase finished, explaining the threat in the jungle. Now Marshall wanted off the island more than ever. He wanted everyone off the island. Of course, Chase wanted the same thing.  
"So.. panthers are the reason that there's a half rotted whatever-the-heck sat in the bushes?" Marshall asked, Chase nodded. Marshall just pictured the animal, and how it met it's grizzly fate. It wasn't even half eaten. By the looks of it, it had just been killed for sport, almost as if the panthers hunted for fun. Of course, this made it even more terrifying for the dalmatian, who just now began to piece it together in his head.  
"Have you been drinking from that pond? Near those bushes?" Marshall asked, stopping pacing and looking over at Chase. Chase nodded, "Yeah... why?" He asked.  
"Has Ryder been drinking the same water?"  
"It's the only water source we had other than rain. And we hadn't had a lot of that until tonight". Marshall looked at the water in his flask, holding the glowing red puptag on the other side of the bottle, illuminating small debris floating around inside. "Chase.. this water won't affect us.. we're dogs. Our immune systems are less... fragile I guess. But if Ryder's been drinking this.. It's the reason he has got very very sick. From what I can tell.. he's got some form of fever. My best guess is Scarlet Fever". Chase felt uncomfortable suddenly. Marshall had become very serious, and Chase knew he only became serious in the most important situations. And Marshall never messed around when he was being a doctor.  
"What's Scarlet Fever?" Chase asked, looking back at Ryder who was still remaining unconscious.  
"It's a type of disease, it affects humans around his age more often than older ones. It causes rashes, coughing, vomiting, bleeding. If left untreated, it affects kidneys and it is... well you get the idea". Chase gulped. Not even Marshall wanted to say it. The very thought of losing Ryder scared them both to their cores, to the cores of their cores. But alongside that fear, Chase felt something new. He felt immensely guilty. Chase was the reason Ryder was now at death's door. He had sat and encouraged Ryder to drink this water and effectively poisoned him. Now.. that weight sat on Chase's shoulders.  
"It's my fault he's like this then... isn't it?" Chase asked with no emotion, looking at the floor. Marshall thought about his response. Deep at the back of his head, Marshall knew the answer was yes. Chase had been letting Ryder drink water from a pool that sat only a few feet away from a rotting animal carcass. All sorts of diseases lived in that water and Chase had been wilfully feeding them to Ryder. But at this point, Marshall knew it was better for a white lie.  
"Chase, you had no idea what was in that water. Even I'm not sure what's in that water. I drank from it myself not to long ago. If he hadn't had drunk anything over the past few days, he'd be just as bad. From what I can tell, he wasn't very well before he drank that water, was he?" Chase shook his head. "So you were doing what you thought was right. Chase.. this is not your fault". Marshall said, sitting besides him and looking out the cave. "Besides, if he's still breathing, then he's still treatable. But we need to be fast". Both of the pups fell silent. Marshall looked at the fire on the ground. He had some things that he could burn. Bandages, various splints, but without his other pack, he had nothing to light it with. Chase had exhausted all of his fuel rations hours ago, and at this point had given up on relighting the fire.

"I hear something..." Chase said, Marshall lifted his ears. He watched lights appear in the distance.  
"It's the others!"

* * *

 _10 Minutes Earlier_

"I thought it was just Chase who got hurt, now Ryder's hurt too? How are we meant to get them both back to the ship?" Rubble asked as he drove his rig through the bushes, leaving an obvious trail behind him. Everest squeezed in next to him. Both pups found the arrangement a bit.. tight to say the least. Everest wasn't exactly the smallest member of the team, and whilst his height was short, Rubble wasn't exactly the slimmest either. Of course, neither were that bothered by it, they were more concerned on the well being of Chase and Ryder, and now of Marshall who just sailed off and left them behind. Everest made a mental note to have a word with the dalmatian about that stunt. He had been doing a lot of crazy things since Ryder left; sailing away and leaving his team in the dust, playing chicken with the Sea Patroller... there were moments in which Marshall didn't seem at all like his usual self. The whole ordeal had caused all of them to make decisions they would otherwise avoid. Rubble, Skye and Zuma being the most obvious, stealing the ship without considering much in the terms of consequences, but even Everest made some insane decisions. She convinced Marshall, with the help of Rocky of course, to pursue Zuma and then help them. She knew it was crazy, sailing the entire ocean on their own, but if she was lost, hurt or stranded, she knew that Ryder would do the same for her, he'd do the same for any of them.  
"Dunno Rubble. Suppose it depends on how hurt they are. From the sounds of it, Ryder is hurt worse", Everest eventually answered, watching from her side of the rig for any signs of Marshall or Chase.  
"We could just ask what's happened?" Rubble suggested, making his puptag glow yellow. Everest placed her paw on his puptag, "hey what giv-" she placed her other paw on his mouth. "Skye, hold back. I hear something". Skye stayed back, letting her helicopter settle on a nearby open rock and turned off the engines. Rubble followed suit, letting his rig fall silent. Everest jumped down from her cramped seat and listened carefully. She was not as good as Tracker, but out of the pups they had, she had the best hearing. Honed from numerous rescues on the slopes. Rubble watched, fascinated as Everest stood, letting her ears face different directions, locking onto the smallest of sounds that Rubble could only just hear. "It came from over there", Everest pointed into a patch of dark bushes. Rubble turned his rig on and turned it around, allowing his bright lights to flood the foliage and illuminate Everest's findings. There was nothing there. Everest parted the bushes, expecting to find something, but it was completely devoid of any creature. "Rubble, you scared it off!" Everest said, turning around. Rubble shrugged.  
"So? If it were Chase or Marshall, I doubt my rig would have scared them off. We're not here to pet cute bunnies". Everest rolled her eyes and climbed back into her seat. "It was nothing Skye, we're good to go". Skye started her engines again and took to the air, closely following Rubble and Everest as to not get lost.

"We're not gonna find them at this rate, we can't spend the whole night searching this island. Who knows how bad it could get?" Skye said,  
" _well, what do you suggest?"_ Rubble responded. Skye flew higher into the air, looking around the island for the slightest glimmer of movement or light. She saw nothing, just the deep green canopy and Rubble's Rig parked up beneath her. Using her goggles, she began to scan the cliffside. If she could see them, they would be able to see her. That was her thinking. She pressed a button, turning on all the lights on her rig possible. She sat stationary in the air, looking along the rock face, seeing nothing but various caves and holes. "They might have taken shelter in those caves. It's the only thing I can think of for now".  
" _Got it"_ Rubble began to drive towards the cliffside, barging his way through trees and bushes, not caring for the foliage anymore. At this point, he felt uncomfortable. Everest was never wrong when she sensed something. If she said there was something in the bushes, there was without a doubt something in those bushes. But that wasn't what bothered him. Everest always knew what the creatures she found were, before even seeing them, but Everest seemed as clueless on this as he was. Something didn't feel right about it. "Skye, I don't think we should spend too long on this island. Something isn't right here",  
" _What's up Rubble?"  
_ "Everest always knows what she finds, she doesn't know what she found this time. It could be anything". Everest heard him say that, and she too felt a bit uncomfortable. The concept of the unknown is a instinctive fear all living things have, and it was much more prominent in the young. Everest thought she recognised the scent for a second, but she knew it couldn't have been what she thought it was.  
"Funny thing is, I thought it was Callie for a second. Smelled like a cat anyways", Everest said. Rubble wasn't sure what to make of it, neither was Skye.  
" _Sooo, we should get off the island quickly in case we get attacked by a kitten?"_ Skye said, causing Everest to blush realising how stupid it sounded out loud.  
"Hey, I never said we had to get off the island, that was Rubble!"  
"Don't drag me into this, I'm just tryin to drive",  
"Do you even know where we're driving? It's not like Skye's been much help other than making her helicopter into the worlds biggest discoball",  
" _Hey, I'm trying my hardest up here. You wanna fly? Be my guest"_ Everest and Skye continued arguing, Rubble listened to every word, hearing some things he'd rather he didn't.  
"Guys.. GUYS! Will you stop?" Everest fell silent, as did Skye. "We've been stuck at sea for a week. Ryder and Chase are hurt and we're totally lost on some island with unknown animals watching us, and you guys think this is the best time for an argument?"  
"Rubble-"  
"What is it with you two. Sometimes it's like you're sisters, then other times it's like you've been enemies for your whole life"  
" _Rubble!-"  
"_Can we please deal with your strange arguments later when we-"  
"RUBBLE! WALL!" Everest called out, grabbing the wheel and attempting to steer the rig to a hard right, causing the vehicle to swerve and almost roll onto its side. With a loud bang, the side of the rig collided with the rock wall in front of them. Rubble lifted his head, looking around and readjusting his helmet.  
"You Ok Everest?" Rubble asked, looking at the Husky who was hanging over the side of the yellow rig.  
"Yeah.. yeah I'm good. Been in worse I guess". She answered, sitting back up and rubbing the side of her head. Skye watched from above, " _You two Ok down there?"  
_ "I'm good!"  
" _Ha, very funny Rubble. That almost sounded like Marshall".  
_ "I didn't say that".

Rubble looked over the other side of his rig, seeing a white tail and rear sticking out of a small hole in the ground. It backed itself up, revealing a red vest. "Marshall?" Marshall stood up and looked at Rubble.  
"Do me a favour next time Rubble? Try not to flatten me into a pupcake". Rubble jumped down from his rig, laughing awkwardly. Everest jumped down behind him, but instead of laughing, walked up to Marshall, placed her paws on his shoulders... and shook him like crazy.  
"WHAT IN THE WORLD DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING? LEAVING US ALL BEHIND LIKE THAT? ARE YOU NUTS?" Marshall tried to respond, but was unable to as his entire body was violently moved around by Everest's suddenly impressive strength.  
"Everest cut it out. Just kiss him already".  
"CHASE!" Rubble and Everest tackled the German shepherd, followed by a small cockapoo diving onto the heap. "Ohchaseweallthoughtyoudiedforawhileandthenwefoundasignalandthenwestoleaboatandthenmarshallbrokehisboatandthenwe-" Marshall pulled the pups off of Chase who stood up, slowly, letting his bad paw readjust back into it's sling. "Careful guys, his paw is real bad".  
"You guys thought I was dead?" Chase looked at the three pups and then at Marshall who just looked down at the ground.  
"Chase.. when the Air Patroller went down, Rocky and I watched it. We didn't see you bail, we just saw the video feed cut out. When we didn't get a response from you or Ryder.. we.. well we assumed".  
"C'mon guys, give us some credit here. Like Ryder and I couldn't survive a plane crash", he said, laughing awkwardly. Skye looked up at him, teary-eyed.  
"Chase, please.. We're serious. Rocky and Marshall did their best to reassure us, but.." Skye ran forward and wrapped herself into another hug. "I'm.. Just happy you're Ok". She let go and backed up, seeing Chase looking very depressed. "Chase?"  
"Are you not happy to see us?" Everest asked, stepping up next to Skye.  
"What?! Of course I am, what makes you think I wouldn't be happy to see you guys? It's just..." Chase trailed off, Marshall stepped forward.  
"Ryder really isn't well pups. He has a fever, but not like a normal fever. If we don't get him some proper help soon, he might not.." The other pups gasped. Rubble ran to his Rig.  
"What the heck are we waiting for? We can have our big reunion later. Ryder needs us". Marshall and Chase jumped in the scoop of Rubble's rig, Everest sat besides him again and Skye returned to her helicopter.  
"Lead the way Chase".

* * *

 _10:32pm - 8 Days after Crash_

"Skye, we're gonna need your stretcher. There is no way Ryder can walk out of this jungle. We need him back at the Sea Patroller. Fast". Marshall took charge of the situation as they approached the cave. "Chase, you're gonna ride with Ryder on the stretcher. It's not really big enough for two, but it's gonna have to be enough. We don't have the time for two trips". Chase nodded. "Rubble, Everest, you've dropped me and Chase off, head back to the boat. We'll meet you there".  
"Why doesn't Chase just ride in the scoop?" Everest suggested.  
"I'm gonna need him to help me with Ryder". Marshall answered. Everest and Rubble nodded.

Marshall stepped out of the scoop, holding his paw out to help Chase down. "See you guys later, we won't be long". Rubble drove his rig back into the undergrowth, following the trail he had left behind. "They're gonna be ok? Right"? Everest asked Rubble.  
"Pfft, Chase and Marshall? I don't think there's a situation they can't get out of", Rubble reassured.

"Skye, lower your stretcher, I'm gonna give Ryder a shot of adrenaline and see if it wakes him up enough to move him". Skye did as ordered and yipped, opening a wider hatch on the base of her helicopter. Out of it, a stretcher the length of the chopper dropped down, suspended by a set of ropes. She lowered it as close to the entrance of the cave as possible and then landed besides it.

Marshall approached Ryder. Chase was already sat at his side, ready for him to wake up. "He might be different, a bit delirious. Don't do anything that might shock him".  
"Right.. because he won't be shocked that you're here Marshall, or that Skye is parked ten feet away". Marshall shrugged and barked out a syringe. Carefully, he pressed the needle against Ryder's arm. Even though he had been trained to do this, it still made him squirm slightly as the tip broke though the layer of skin and pushed itself into a vein. The serum flooded out into the bloodstream. "Here's hoping". Marshall sat back, waiting for a response. Ryder's heart rate increased slightly, which was a good sign, despite it being so high already. But that was all. After a few minutes of waiting, Chase asked the obvious.  
"Why isn't it working?" Chase was worried now. Marshall always knew what to do in these sorts of situations, but.. he seemed as surprised as Chase.  
"I'm not sure Chase. It could be a number of things. I can't find out until he's back home. For now, we'll just have to shift him to the stretcher without his help. Skye, we're gonna need you for this". Skye jumped down from her helicopter and ran over to Marshall. "We're going to lift Ryder as much as we can. You need to push that stretcher under him". Skye nodded and ran to get her stretcher. "You ready Chase?" Marshall asked, leaning down and placing his snout under Ryder's arm. Chase did the same.  
"Ready!"  
"3, 2 , 1, Lift!" Both pups heaved with all they had. Marshall easily lifted his share of the weight, but Chase struggled. Without his bad paw, all of Ryder's weight was being pushed into his good leg. He strained, until eventually..  
"And drop". Chase slowly lowered his head, letting Ryder gently fall down onto the stretcher. Marshall did the same and then stepped back. "Ok, both of you help me drag it outside". All three pups grabbed the side of the stretcher and pulled with all their strength, slowly reaching the entrance. Marshall stood up and began to strap Ryder in place, making sure the restraints were not to tight, but also making sure he wouldn't fall. "Chase, you're just gonna have to sit on Ryder's legs", Chase shrugged, since he'd been doing that all week, it's not like it was a big deal. "Skye, go start the engines, I'll be there in a second", Skye ran off and jumped back into the cockpit of her helicopter, starting the blades. "Chase.. we broke a lot of rules coming out here. I broke a lot of rules too. I'm not a good leader, and the second we get back to Adventure Bay, I want you to take back control. I just.. I just can't handle all this stress".  
"Marshall I-"  
"We'll discuss it later. Let's get Ryder home safe first". Chase nodded silently. Marshall headed back to the cockpit and jumped in. It was surprisingly spacious, considering his own size, but then again, Skye didn't take up much room herself. Marshall strapped himself in, tightly. "O-okay Skye.. Slowly, really slowly". Skye did as she was told, very slowly increasing the throttle and raising herself and Marshall into the air. She looked over the side, watching the lines flowing from the bottom of her chopper tighten. Feeling the resistance against her controls, she increased the throttle again, compensating for the additional weight. Slowly, Chase and Ryder lifted up and off the cave floor. Marshall gulped as he too looked over the side to see the ground getting further away.

Chase sighed a breath of relief, watching behind him as the cave that he had called home for over a week began to slowly get further and further away. He saw the now blinking light of his old puptag and Ryder's puppad. He figured there was no point bringing something like that back home with them. He wanted nothing to remind him of his time here. He looked down, seeing the stretcher slowly move off the edge of the cliff, showing a steep drop below. Looking to his right, he saw the pond he had been drinking from, and the same pond that had basically poisoned Chase. But most of all, he knew he was out of reach of the other predators in the jungle. He was no longer a target for them. He might actually be able to get some sound sleep now. Chase laid down on Ryder's legs, shifting his weight as evenly as possible to keep Ryder comfortable. It was completely dark now. The only light Chase had was the occasional blink from Skye's helicopter flying gracefully above them. For a moment, Chase almost felt himself crying. All the stress of keeping himself and Ryder alive had paid off. All those times he thought the worst, and here he was, in the best possible situation. He couldn't be safer, he couldn't be happier. Above him, two of his closest friends were pulling him home to the rest of his family, and beneath him, he could feel the faint heartbeat of Ryder. Chase had never really had family, but if this is what family felt like.. he knew he had one now. "-Meet us on the deck", Chase heard Skye's voice from above, faintly, and assumed that Skye had asked the other pups to meet them on the Sea Patroller ready to help move Ryder.

Chase turned his attention to Ryder, who looked as peaceful as ever. Eyes still closed, breathing still fast. Actually.. Chase noticed something else. Ryder's breathing was faster. Much faster. "Marshall?" Without his puptag, Chase had no way to reach Marshall. His voice was literally blown away by the blades above. Chase did what he could, moving over to Ryder's chest to listen to his heartbeat, but he had no idea what to do. Suddenly. Ryder's eyes shot open. He sat up fast, causing Chase to be pushed off of Ryder's chest. For a moment, Chase was relieved, immensely relieved to see Ryder awake. But then, a new feeling swept over him. Panic and weightlessness. Chase scrambled around, his paws flying everywhere to grab onto the nearest thing. Anything. But he couldn't. There was nothing to grab onto. Chase was falling.

He screamed as he fell, unable to see where he was going to land. It was like reliving the crash all over again. He had come so close to rescue, and now.. he was going to fall to his death? He saw Ryder's face of horror, outstretching one of his arms. Chase reached out a paw, but it was in complete vain. He was already halfway to the ground. Chase continued to scream, falling further and further until his body disappeared through the treetops, the leaves enveloping his body entirely.

Marshall sat up, looking around in panic. He heard something. Looking over the side, Marshall looked at the swinging stretcher suspended beneath the chopper. "Ryder's awake!- Wait.. Something isn'- CHASE?!" Skye stopped in the air, looking over the side. Chase was indeed missing from the stretcher. All she and Marshall could see was Ryder hanging over the edge with his arm outstretched. You didn't have to be a genius to see what had happened. Skye began to put her gear back on, before a white paw pushed her back down. "Get Ryder to the medical bay. Get him on ice. Come find us. I didn't get this close and break so many rules to leave him behind". Skye had no chance to react. Marshall stood up and stood on the side of the helicopter cockpit.  
"Marshall? What are you doing?!" Skye yelled, knowing all to well what Marshall was planning. Marshall jumped from the side of the helicopter, Skye dove across, trying to grab his tail, but missed, just by a hair. She watched as Marshall plummeted downwards into the leaves, just as Chase had done before. Ryder watched too, equally horrified to see his second pup fall to his suspected doom. Skye, however, did as she was told. She waited a few seconds before sitting back down. She threw the throttle to full, flying as fast as she could fowards. Ryder held on tight, whilst his restraints kept him locked in place. Skye knew it was stupid, but she wasn't going to lose two of her closest friends on one day.

Up ahead, she saw the Sea Patroller, parked up ready on the water. On top, the deck was lit with floodlights, and Rubble, Everest, Rocky and Zuma stood ready to help. She slowly lowered the stretcher into place. Rocky locked it onto a wheeled base and removed the restraints. Ryder was in tears. The pups gathered around, clueless to the recent events. Skye landed behind them. Rocky and Zuma turned around and walked towards her, followed soon after by Everest and Rubble. "Why's Wyder so upset? What happened? Where's- Skye... Where's Chase?" Zuma asked,  
"Where's Marshall?" Everest followed. The pups sat around, waiting for a response, but they didn't need one to guess the severity of the situation. Skye saw how Ryder was in no condition, physically or mentally. She took a deep breath in and sighed.  
"Chase.. Chase fell from the stretcher. Marshall saw and jumped out after him".  
"Marshall just jumped?!" Rocky asked, his voice raised. All of the pups began to try and contact him.  
"He told me to get Ryder 'on ice' and then head out to find them". The other pups looked over at Ryder, who held his head in his hands. "So let's get him to the medical room, and then we're going out to find them".

* * *

Chase watched as Ryder, Marshall and Skye all disappeared from his vision as his body fell through the roof of the jungle below him. He closed his eyes, bracing himself for the inevitable impact. Instead, he felt something grab him, wrapping around his legs, including his bad paw, causing him to howl in pain. He felt himself suddenly stop falling, but felt no ground beneath him. He was completely suspended. Cautiously, he opened his eyes. The bright, silvery moonlight bore down through the hole he made above, lighting the surroundings and his captors. Looking around, he quickly realised what had happened. He had fallen through a dense patch of vines which clung to the canopy above. He didn't know if this was a good thing or a bad thing. It was obviously good for the reason that he now wasn't dead, but.. it also meant he was tied up and restrained, and something must have heard him howl like that. He looked back up to the sky, hoping to see a familiar helicopter overhead, but he knew it wasn't coming back. He could hear how far it was from him now. " _Maybe it'd come back later?_ " He thought to himself. Some part of him knew it might not, but why would they leave him behind. He shook his head of the thoughts, focusing on the positive. He was alive, when not long ago, he thought he was surely going to die. Chase began to gnaw at the vines, using his teeth to attempt to cut through them, ignoring the foul taste of the sap and hoped they weren't poisonous. But soon, he found he couldn't reach most of them. He had at least cut the one that held his bad paw, stopping the searing pain and letting it fall back to rest again. Chase gave up. He no longer had the energy to escape, all he could do now, was hope someone was coming for him, because he knew by now, something else was instead.

* * *

 _ **Thanks to a guest review, I altered the ending slightly. The previous version sort of made it seem like Chase just appeared in some vines, and after reading it, it didn't have much context. SO, I hope this is slightly better. I'm not 100% satisfied with how Chase survived, and wish I could think of a better idea, but this also provides me with a way to build tension in the next chapter, so it's not all bad.**_

 _ **Well guys, that's likely the last chapter before I move out. The story is reaching it's inevitable end now! (I'm sort of glad about this, as it is a commitment I began long before I had even bigger commitments like Uni to deal with).**_

 _ **I'm so grateful for all the wellwishing messages I have received over the past few days. I am so sorry it's been taking so long over the past few weeks. From what I can surmise, Chapter 17 (the next chapter), is it. That's the final Chapter. I have no plans to continue this story with a sequel. A few people have said they might make a spin-off story themselves, which I have no issues with. (However, I will not consider them canon to my own story mainly due to the small details I had planned from the beginning). Honestly, it's flattering that people like it enough to go ahead and do something like that.**_

 _ **I would like to give some credit to** **amilia13 for the idea for Scarlet Fever. Originally, I had planned to have Ryder have Typhoid, however, Scarlet fever sounds more intimidating and overall the context of the virus seems to fit the overall context of the story too. So thanks for that.**_

 _ **Also, another reader, Hauchen, I hope I gave Rubble enough dialogue for you. I did want to give him a more important role, but I'm afraid I couldn't think of anything for him, or any of the other pups other than Marshall and Skye for this chapter.**_

 _ **I'm afraid I do not stick to an uploading schedule anymore. If you want regular updates on my progress, do keep an eye on my Profile page, as I am updating that as often as I possibly can to make sure you guys are always in the loop!**_

 ** _Reviews:  
_**

 ** _Marie-anne14:_** I hope this chapter didn't disappoint. I believe I covered all of that for you. I tried to make it obvious in the previous chapter that Chase's paw was not going to heal without some form of surgical intervention. In otherwords, his paw won't heal properly without surgery.

(Strangely enough, a guest had the exact same comment as you Marie-anne. Not sure what happened there but not a big deal).

 _ **Hauchen:**_ As I said a few lines back, I hope I have given Rubble enough attention for you. Originally, there were no lines for Rubble in this chapter, but I felt like he needed a few, then remembered you liked him so I have given him as many as I could this time.

 _ **That's it until next time guys, (which might take a while, I'm so sorry if it does. Please remember I will NOT be abandoning this story. I hate it when that happens so I'd never do it myself). **_

_**~PupPupGo xx**_


	17. Chapter 17: Daybreak

**_A/N: This is it, final chapter. (Might add an epilogue at some point but this is the climax for the story)._**

Chapter 17: Daybreak

 _10:31pm - 8 Days after Crash_

Cold surrounded him entirely. Not an inch of his fur was unclaimed by the frigid water that clung to his fur. Marshall lay, lifeless at the bottom of a pool of water. Slowly, his eyes opened. Panic soon followed as the dalmatian realised he was underwater. Far underwater. Looking up, he saw the beams of the moonlight piercing through the murk around him. He kicked his legs as strong as he could, feeling an intense burning sensation in his lungs, his vision slowly going hazy. He clawed at the water, pulling himself upwards, blackness slowly creeping in around his sight until finally, he broke the surface. He inhaled deeply, coughing at the sudden intake of fresh air. He let his breathing steady for a minute and then swam to the side, falling onto his chest, not even bothering to shake the water from his fur. He lay still, letting his mind calculate what had happened. He looked up, visualising where he had leapt from, glad his plan had worked, but maybe he should have thought about it for a bit longer. He knew it was crazy, but knowing what was in the forest, and knowing that Chase was in no position to defend himself, Marshall new it was the right decision. Eventually, the other pups will come out looking for them, but for now, he had to find Chase.

Slowly, he stood up, shakily pushing himself off the ground. He sighed and focused himself, looking around and trying to find his bearings. He looked at where he jumped from, and worked out a direction to head from there. As he began walking, he felt unnerved. He had done this walk on his own before, or at least walked on the island on his own as he didn't really know where he was, but now, he didn't feel very alone. For most, this of course would be a comfort, knowing you weren't alone in a strange new place, but this company was not company Marshall wanted. Quickening his pace, he disappeared from the beaten path and headed off into the bushes, following what ever trace he could find of Chase. He couldn't be too far behind where Marshall had landed, for only a couple of seconds had passed until Marshall followed. He knew the moon was in front of him when Chase fell, so heading in the opposite direction of it might lead him to Chase. Honestly, Marshall had never done search and rescue like this before.

Search and rescue was of course part of his job. In fact, all of the members of the Paw Patrol had their own particular roles for search and rescue. Chase's was obvious. He could smell anyone from anywhere. In fact, Chase was very proud of his sense of smell, but he also sometimes hated it. When playing hide and seek, he always had to wear what the pups called, "the blind sock". Of course, all of them would have to wear it, although Chase's was the strongest, all of the pups could easily find the others nearby just through scent. But Chase's sense of smell could detect everything, and some smells are best left unsniffed. Marshall consciously laughed remembering the time Zuma had eaten a few too many treats. Skye's role was also obvious. She searched from above, and most of the time, she was the main pup for a search and rescue mission. An aerial view on any situation was always a massive help, and Skye knew it. Zuma obviously was in charge of ocean rescue. Usually underwater however as Skye actually filled in the above water search for him. Rubble and Rocky were probably the only two that didn't have specific roles like that. Rubble, of course, could search collapsed structures, rockslides, and.. well rubble. Rocky just sorta lent a paw where needed. Marshall was of course the search and rescue leader for any rescue involving fire or tall buildings.

Marshall's role had always daunted him a bit. Whilst the others had lots of space to conduct their rescues, Marshall's were usually inside a building. And that building, most times, was also on fire. Enclosed spaces were loud, dangerous and not to mention had a very obvious time limit. It had never stopped him from failing a search and rescue, but it also meant he was not really prepared for the one he now undertook.

He trudged through the undergrowth, sort of wishing he had Skye with him overhead. Every mission was easier with any sort of help. A second perspective cleared most things up. Most of the time, Marshall's biggest downfall was rushing things. Even in the worst of situations, he sometimes didn't really pay attention to everything. Most of the time, this worked in his own favour, and his own gut instinct was never wrong. But that wasn't the same. Rushing things like a rescue was just not the way to go. Chase or Rocky was usually his voice of reason on missions. Rocky mostly as sometimes Chase fell into the same trap, albeit less often. Marshall was actually really glad he had Rocky most of the time. He could really do with some intelligent words right now. Marshall then realised, he didn't really have to be totally alone.  
"Guys? Anyone hear me?" Marshall spoke out, his puptag illuminating briefly before shutting off after a short flicker. "Guys..?" Marshall tapped his tag. Nothing. His tag was busted. Slowly, he began to see the flaws in his plan. He was lost. He had no support. And now.. he felt as if he was being hunted.

* * *

 _10:31pm - 8 Days after Crash_

Chase rocked gently in the vines, his foggy mind clearing from adrenaline, unblocking the pain from his landing as it slowly took over his body. Gradually, he could feel the vines on his back feel tighter, and his bad paw began to sharply pulse with an infuriating pain. Chase could no longer stand it. He writhed, contorting his whole body in an attempt to break free. Some vines slipped away, but gave little in regards to freedom. Grunting, he felt his body shifting around in the greenery, although it never felt any looser, Chase had a new aim. Slowly, vines came into reach of his jaws. With a decent amount of effort, he craned his neck forward, grabbing the vine with his teeth and began to gnaw away at them with all of his might. He was already familiar with the bitter filling of the plants, having already freed himself from some of the grasp; it didn't make it any more bearable. He felt the bile in his throat rise at the taste, taking all of his willpower to not vomit from the foul flavour coating his teeth and mouth. Eventually, his sharp teeth punctured the tough outer skin of the vine and it snapped with an audible click. With this, his lower end swung down. He felt blood rush to his legs and subsequent paws, having been deprived of a decent flow for a few minutes. He moved them around slightly, embracing the slight feeling of freedom. He looked back up at the rest of the vines. His strategic mind slowly following each green tendril to it's source and deciding which would be best to cut through next, wanting to experience the flavour as little as possible.

He leaned forward and once again began to chew through the vine wrapped around his waist, letting his mind wander as he did so. He began to overthink things. That was Chase's problem. Whilst Marshall, or even Zuma, rush in headfirst and think on their feet, Chase was similar to Rocky in a sense, he was calculative. He tried to think of every potential outcome he could and how best to avoid the not-so-ideal ones. But now, Chase's mind was reeling with the outcomes in his current situation. He was alone, he didn't even have Ryder this time. He was injured, tied up twenty feet off the ground in a forest with animals looking for their next meal, and sadly, Chase figured a hogtied pup would be rather appetising to a group of panthers. But.. then again, there was the Paw Patrol, all of them with more than enough skill to find him in time. He hoped.

His state of mind snapped with the vine he was chewing, as it released it's grip on his waist, the rest of his weight shifted to smaller vines that were barely touching him. He had but a second to realise that they were not going to hold his weight as they too snapped under the strain, letting Chase once again experience the feeling of freefall as his body dropped from the canopy to the hard ground below. He snagged on vines on his way down, slowing his descent but not enough to warrant a painless landing. Chase hit the soil with a thud, twigs snapping under his back. He let out a loud yelp in pain, feeling a sharp sensation shoot up his back and through his whole body. He laid still for a moment, realising what he had just done. Anything within a mile could have heard that. He looked up, seeing the distance he fell. It was definitely going to leave a bruise. Carefully, he began to stand up, rolling onto his side and pushing his paws into the dirt. He stumbled once, feeling the pain in his back once more, causing him to fall to the ground. It was hard enough moving around on only three paws, but now, walking was near impossible, and the very thought of running sounded painful.

Chase looked up once more, trying to figure out where he was. He had by no means explored the island in the eight days he had been trapped there, but he had become familiar with at least some landmarks. But Chase saw none. Only a gap in the canopy above where the moonlight shone through, left by his body from the fall. Chase knew that was the only lead he had. Looking at the moon, it was in front of him when he fell, which means the direction to head would be towards it, figuring that heading away would just bring him back to the cave, which the very idea of made his fur stand on end. And staying put was not an option. His only hope was to head towards the shore, following the moon.

* * *

 _10:39pm - 8 Days after Crash_

Rocky finished securing Ryder into the medical bed. The once brave and always optimistic leader looked broken, physically and emotionally. After presumably watching two of his pups, his first two pups, fall to their deaths right before his eyes, Ryder's mind couldn't take much more. He wept uncontrollably. The pups did too, all except Skye and Rocky, who didn't know how to feel. Rocky was calculating instead. Working out the variables from the story Skye had told him, seeing every potential outcome just as Chase would, building the scenario in his head. Skye, on the other hand, refused to believe that they were indeed dead. But after no response after contacting them, she had little hope to cling to.

"Guys", Skye said out loud, drawing everyone's attention to her. Ryder sleepily turned his head, the sedation slowly beginning to take effect on his already exhausted body. "I know everyone's upset, but we need to find them. Both of them". Rocky nodded in agreement, whilst Rubble, Zuma and Everest looked at each other solemnly. Zuma nodded at Everest, who turned and spoke.  
"Skye.. what if.. what if they are gone?" Skye bit her lip for a second, her mind telling her to argue back, that neither of them were gone, especially Chase.  
"I don't think they're gone", Skye answered bluntly, but sighed. "But even if... even if they are.. they don't deserve to be left here". The rest of the pups agreed, mostly just murmurs and gentle nods. Ryder watched his pups convene around him, discussing some intense things. As the sedative took over his body, Ryder couldn't help but feel proud of his pups, of his family. Even in the most stressful times, they always know what to do, and he was incredibly impressed with their instincts so far. He took comfort in the idea of Chase and Marshall being alive out there on the island, albeit in danger. He fell to sleep clinging to that piece of hope, knowing at this point, hope was all he could do.

Skye noticed Ryder drop off, and held her paw up, silencing the conversations around her. He pointed up at the bed, helping the other pups realise Ryder had finally fallen asleep. They all silently stood up and headed out of the door. "Someone should stay behind and watch him guys", Skye whispered. Rocky nodded and sat back down. Skye nodded in acknowledgement and followed the other out.

Rocky sat by Ryder's side on the other bed. Granted, it was made ready for Chase, but from what he had heard, Chase wasn't really in that bad of a state, and if the worst was true, it's not like he'd exactly be needing it. Rocky did his best to block the thoughts from his head. He had more than enough faith in the two missing pups to make it back in one piece. Chase had never failed at a challenge before, and Marshall just wasn't one to give up. But, the only thing he was certain of, was Ryder. He let his eyes scan over the broken child. Ryder was almost seen as a beacon for most people who knew him. Optimistic and intelligent, he always had a plan for every occasion, no matter how big or small. And no matter what time of day, he was always ready to help. But now, he was just a shell of that person. Literally an unmoving husk of personified grief and pain. His clothes, torn at various intervals, some on purpose and some just out of general wear. His hair was beyond greasy, instead of the usual peaks it formed, it was clumped and matted down by sweat. Overall, he was dirty, and you didn't need a dog's sense of smell to realise. Rocky wondered what Ryder would do if he were better. What would he think? Would he believe Chase and Marshall were okay? Or would he be more realistic. Rocky scoffed at the idea. The idea of Chase and Marshall being gone was not realistic in the mixed breed's mind. Rocky shared Skye's belief. They were alive somewhere, and they were not leaving without them.

* * *

Outside the medical room, Skye organised the remainder of the team. After hearing about the potential threat of other animals on the island from Marshall, she had no intention on letting any of the pups work alone. "Okay guys. I don't know if you've been told this yet but.. there are other animals on the island, other than Marshall and Chase. Bigger animals", Skye said, letting the others realise what she was saying. "According to Marshall, there are panthers in the forest. Now that it's nighttime, they're likely around. For that reason, I'm going to split us into pairs". The others gulped, but nodded.

"Everest, you're with me. Two pairs of eyes in the skies are better than one. Zuma, you ride with Rubble. And Rubble, I know Ryder would disapprove, but your rig is the most powerful out of all of ours. If it comes to it, we will level this forest to find them". Rubble was a bit shocked. Sure, he could do it without a doubt, but.. levelling an entire ecosystem for the sake of two of their friends? "If you come across either of them, radio in. Everest and I will fly over and lift them away".  
"Um.. Skye?" Zuma took her attention. "What if something else finds us first?" The others all nodded in unison. That was the biggest danger to everyone right now. Not one pup on their own would stand a chance against something like that, and even with two, the chances were still near impossible.  
"Stay in Rubble's rig. Move fast. The second we find them we're out of here". Skye said and then turned around, heading out to her helicopter. "We have no time to waste. Let's move". The other pups followed her out and into the launch bay. Rubble floored it, launching from the back of the Sea Patroller and landing on the sand, causing Zuma to hold his hat. "Dude, careful. There's enough injured pups as is". Rubble shrugged, then both looked down, seeing their tags light up.  
" _I'm going to fly above to where Chase fell. Follow me. I'll fly as low as possible"._ Rubble and Zuma looked up, the wind from Skye's chopper blowing their ears back. Skye lit her helicopter up as much as she could, making it obvious to the others and then slowly began to fly away. Rubble turned around and lowered his scoop and began to plow forward, pushing trees, bushes and shrubs down and under his rig. He felt bad about it, and hoped there was no animals living in them, but he had no choice. Chase and Marshall were lost and they were out of time.

Rubble wasn't sure how he felt honestly. He had a lot of faith in both Chase and Marshall, but how could anyone survive a fall from a helicopter? It didn't seem feasible to him. But.. after all the weird things he had seen through his life, merpups and aliens alike, he had some hope that they were okay.

* * *

 _10:32pm - 8 Days after Crash_

Marshall had only been walking for a few minutes when he had heard a familiar howl. He knew Chase had to be alive, there was no way he someone as stubborn as him would go from just a fall. Instantly, Marshall took off in the direction of the howl, tearing through bushes and leaping over various obstacles. He swallowed the feeling of being watched, knowing he had no time to worry about himself. If he needed to, Marshall could run, but Chase.. He knew Chase wouldn't last a single second on his own. Eventually, the greenery became a blur. His legs pushing him as fast as he could carry himself, his heart racing and lungs wheezing. He was exhausted but refused to stop. Until eventually, he tripped. He knew it was going to happen, he could never run anywhere without tripping, it was almost as if he was hardwired to be clumsy at the worst moments.

He rolled, grunting as his body collided with branches, eventually becoming snared in an array of vines. He opened his eyes. He was stood up on his hind legs, vines wrapped around his front legs keeping him up in the air. He instinctively struggled and pulled against the vines, whining as he felt them tighten in response, almost as if they were living. He lent forward and used his teeth to pull at them, growling fiercely as his teeth pulled through the green flesh.

"Marshall?" Marshall stopped, hearing a voice he was longing to hear. He looked up, spitting out the foul tasting sap mixed in with his own saliva. A broken looking german shepherd emerged from a nearby bush, smiling weakly.  
"Chase?!" Marshall yelped, pulling hard and ripping the vines apart, practically flinging himself at the other pup, causing them both to collide and roll. Chase let out a pained yelp on the impact. "Oh god I'm so sorry", Marshall instantly threw himself off, apologising earnestly to his injured friend. Marshall sat down and watched as Chase attempted to stand up, struggling. Seeing him struggle was heartwrenching. Chase was always such a resilient pup, he had never seen him in this much pain before. Marshall nudged him to his feet and then sat back down. "What happened?" Chase took a deep breath, looking Marshall over with just as much confusion.  
"Ryder woke up. But when he did, he sat up, fast. I didn't have time to grab something and it threw me off. The last thing I saw was him leaning over the stretcher as far as he could. Then.. well I landed here". Marshall looked Chase over again, then stood up and circled him.  
"But.. how'd you survive that fall?" Now in a state of disbelief, contrary to his earlier thoughts.  
"I landed in vines, like you did over there", Chase said, gesturing to the ripped vines in the corner. "Although, you seemed to get out of them much better than I did. Actually, how did you get here? Where are the others? Did Skye not come with you?"

Marshall thought very hard about his next words. Chase was basically his leader. And he knew he did something stupid, he didn't know how he would react. "I uh.. I told Skye to take Ryder to the Sea Patroller and get the others". Chase nodded, still piecing it together. "And then I jumped. Right from the passenger seat in her helicopter".  
"You did what?!" Chase yelled. "Marshall? What the heck. You could've died".  
"Well I didn't"  
"You jumped from a helicopter?"  
"Yeah?"  
"How'd you land that?"  
"It was.. wet and cold. Landed in a pond. Almost-"  
"Almost what?"  
"Almost drowned, geez Chase let me finish".  
"Marshall are you insane? Why would you even do that?"  
"Because I didn't want to lose you again!". Marshall yelled back. Chase bit his tongue, holding back his next words. Marshall's eyes began to tear up. He wiped his paw across them, trying to push the tears back. "Chase.. you're like a brother to me. When you and Ryder took me in, you gave me a home and a family. When I watched you both crash, I felt both of those things crumble around me. When I looked over and saw you fall I... I coul-" Marshall stopped talking as Chase pulled him into a hug.  
"You're crazy Marshall". Chase said, holding the dalmatian close.  
"I can't do this anymore Chase. I'm not ready to lead. I can't lead. The others have been looking to me, asking what we do next, asking questions I had no answer too. I just can't do it".  
"You don't have to anymore Marshall. We're going home". Marshall just sobbed into Chase's shoulder, his tears matting down the already matted fur beneath his own. Chase let go, and Marshall sat back. "Let's find our way out of here". Marshall sat, letting his breathing settle down. His mind was reeling. Throughout the entire week, Marshall felt as if he had to be an example. The leader always had to look ready for anything. But the truth was, he wasn't. He was constantly terrified, being the centre of attention to the other pups who were always looking to him for their orders. He just wasn't ready to take on that much responsibility, and now, stuck in the middle of a potentially deadly forest, with Ryder severely ill and his best friend injured before him, it was just too much for the young dalmatian.

Marshall nodded, wiping his eyes with a paw, and then standing up. Chase followed suit, attempting to stand up but stumbling as he did. Marshall noticed and knelt down by his side, supporting him up onto his three good legs. Chase stood, shakily in place. "So.. which way?" Chase asked. Marshall looked around. Everywhere blended into the same background, the same vista. Trees, vines, bushes, twigs. Every direction looked the same. Chase stood, watching and realising as Marshall didn't know what to do. Neither did he. He too looked around. He never saw the path he took to get to the cave he stayed in, as Ryder carried him all the way there. Now.. it was just himself and Marshall. Marshall looked upwards.  
"When we were flying back to the sea patroller, the moon was in front of us. As long as we head towards that, surely we'd find our way out?" Marshall suggested.  
"And you said you couldn't lead". Marshall blushed at the compliment. Chase limped forwards. "Lead the way Marshall". Marshall didn't feel good leading Chase, it didn't feel right. Marshall always looked up to Chase, but in this situation, there was no way Chase could lead them out. Marshall had the best chance of finding their way out. Marshall took one last look at the moon, and then marched forwards into the bushes, doing his best to flatten them to provide an easy path for Chase to follow. Chase wouldn't be able to make it over and through big bushes, so he did his best to get them out of the way for the shepherd. Chase noticed and appreciated it. He was indeed struggling to make it through the undergrowth. Every small branch and root caused him to lose balance, almost to the point of falling down. He didn't walk as such, he hopped; limping forward whilst Marshall strode strongly through obstacles.

"Who's with you?" Chase asked. Marshall didn't stop to answer, knowing they were short on time.  
"Everyone."  
"Everyone?"  
"Well.. Everyone except Tracker. If I had the time, I would have invited him along too. I think his hearing would have made this much easier".  
"So.. if everyone else is here.. who's watching Adventure Bay?" Chase asked, hoping that Humdinger wasn't in charge again.*  
"We didn't have much time to organise much. By the time I realised what we had to do, Zuma, Skye and Rubble had already taken the Sea Patroller by themselves to come find you".  
"Skye did that? I get why Zuma would do it, he's a bit nuts, Rubble... not so much. But Skye?"  
"She really likes you Chase. It's obvious to everyone",  
"About as obvious as you and Everest? She doesn't exactly hide it and your not good it it either". Marshall just blushed and rushed into the next topic.  
"So Rocky, Everest and I chased them using our boats and we-"  
"Everest doesn't have a boat",  
"She used yours"  
"Oh... wait what?"  
"We chased them down. I did something stupid and it wrecked my boat. But eventually they stopped thanks to Rocky and we got onboard and joined them".  
"Still doesn't answer the question".  
"Oh.. yeah i guess it doesn't. We left Jake in charge. After all, he did do rescues before Everest was part of the team, he could probably manage smaller things. Bigger emergencies would be dealt with by... ugh.. Foggy Bottom". Chase didn't like the sound of that, but he knew, as much as he disliked the town, the emergency services wouldn't leave them with burning buildings just out of spite.  
"Who knows?"  
"Just Jake and us. By now, others have probably heard. Jake obviously would have to explain to Mayor Goodway when we weren't available to save her chicken for the eighth time that week". Both himself and Chase chuckled at that. It seemed that the Mayor's pet purse chicken was always in some kind of trouble. Sometimes it drove them crazy. It annoyed all of the pups that their diverse range of skills and abilities were usually used to save a bird.

By now, the both pups had been walking through the seemingly endless undergrowth for at least fifteen minutes. Everything looked like a copy and paste of the previous thing they saw, and at one point, both became concerned that they might have been walking in circles. Marshall kept shaking a feeling he was not willing to share with the already injured Chase, for that information would just make him panic, and at this point, that was the last thing they needed. They had both been silent for the duration, the two of them exhausted from walking. Marshall continued forward, looking over his shoulder occasionally, checking to see if Chase was still with him, and, although a few moments behind, Chase continued to limp forward, but then.. stopped. Marshall, in return, stopped also. "You okay?" Marshall asked, concerned that he may have been moving too fast. Chase shushed him. Marshall looked confused, but saw Chase's ears moving. He had heard something. Marshall's heart raced, it could be one of two things, the first being a pack of ravenous, meat eating giant cats looking for an easy meal and the other being-  
"It sounds like Rubble's rig!" Chase said. Marshall walked back over to Chase, lifting his own ears. Although not as strong, Marshall could also hear a familiar rumbling.  
"Follow that sound!" Marshall said, running forward into the bushes, making sure to leave an ample path behind for his injured friend. His heart raced, he could hear the blood pumping in his ears, the taste of his hot breath on his tongue which was lazily hanging out of his mouth. He galloped out and into a small cleared path. Chase soon limped up behind, even more out of breath than his dalmatian leader. Marshall looked down the path one way, and saw the familiar sight of red taillights and flashing orange construction lights.  
"RUBBLE!" Both Marshall and Chase yelled. There was no response. Marshall began to sprint again, rapidly chasing the rig down the forest path. Chase began to do the same, cursing his broken paw as he could only stumble ungracefully behind. Gradually, the sight of the familiar yellow rig came into view. Marshall yelled again, this time, gaining a response. He watched as a familiar Chocolate lab turned his head.  
"Mawshall!" Zuma yelled. Rubble stuck his paw on the brake, causing the whole rig to shunt to a stop. The bulldog turned his head also, looking back over to see an out of breath and dirty white pup stood in his distinct path of destruction he had been leaving behind.  
"Skye! We found Mawshall!" Zuma said, his puptag lighting up the familiar orange as she responded.  
" _Is he Ok?"  
"_He's not dead if that's what you're asking", Rubble said grinning.  
" _What about Chase. Is Chase there?"  
_ "No. I don't see him", Zuma responded. Marshall's heart skipped a beat.  
"What are you talking about? He's right behind-" Marshall stopped speaking, turning around to see no one behind him. "Chase!?" Marshall ran back. Rubble turned his rig around and followed Marshall.

Marshall ran headfirst back into the bushes, stopping once on the other side and colliding with something, causing him to fall down. His vision became hazy. He groaned and squeezed his eyes shut in response. "Marshall run!" Marshall's head snapped back up, opening his eyes despite the pain. He almost stopped breathing, seeing the sight before him. Chase stood in front of him, between him and something else. It didn't take long for Marshall to realise what was happening. Blood rolled down Chase's fur and slowly dripped onto the ground, leaving crimson puddles behind. Three evenly spaced scratches could be easily seen through Chase's matted and thick fur. Marshall looked at his own paws, red from the contact. Chase growled furiously at the creature before him. It raised it's paw again for another attack.  
"No!" Marshall threw Chase aside, causing them both to yelp out in pain. Chase, from hitting a nearby tree and Marshall as the claws tore through his white fur and into his flesh, staining his usually bright white fur a deep red. Marshall didn't falter, standing back up and staring deep into a pair of viridescent eyes. Chase attempted to stand back up, but stumbled, causing him to fall again, crashing back down into the dirt. Marshall watched as Chase fell, staring into his amber eyes that were usually so full of determination, but were now filled with defeat. Marshall's head swung back to the panther, who was ready to strike once more. Snap. Marshall ducked to the ground, and rapidly stood back up, launching himself off the ground and into the face of the creature. It roared in response as Marshall dug his own claws deep into its black fur. Marshall screamed angrily, his stress reaching it's boiling point.

Rubble's rig tore through a nearby bush. Zuma jumped out, ready to help, but Chase held a paw out from the ground. "Don't go near him". Zuma and Rubble looked up, seeing Marshall open his jaws wide and sink his sharp canine teeth deep into the tissues of the big cat, causing it to roar once more. All three pups watched in horrified awe as their most innocent member of the team mercilessly tore into this animal. Skye flew overhead, the flashing lights from her rig illuminating the scene below in stark contrast to the dark forest behind. Now, it could be easily seen that the pearly white fur on their dalmatian friend was almost entirely red. The pup's couldn't tell who's blood was who's as the dog and cat rolled into the dirt. Marshall was thrown off it's back and collided with a nearby tree. Just like Chase, he attempted to stand up, putting his weight on his two front legs, but fell flat. His mind screamed at him to stand back up, fight back, but his body would not cooperate.

"We have to do something!" Rubble yelled, jumping back into his rig. Marshall watched as the panther slowly stalked forwards, it's body lowering to the ground, becoming ready to pounce. Its muscles tensing. He closed his eyes, bracing himself before opening them again, hearing the roar of a familiar engine soar past. Rubble hit the panther side on with the scoop. Looking over the side, Rubble watched Marshall stare at him in shock. The panther stood back up quickly, sensing a new threat. It turned and growled ferociously at Rubble, but stopped as a new pup attacked it from behind. Zuma sank his teeth through the fur, latching on and growling, retching at the metallic taste filling his mouth. Rubble lowered his scoop to the floor and began to slowly drive towards it. Zuma let go, noticing the rig approach, but the panther remained still.

Everest lowered herself down from the helicopter above on the stretcher. Quickly, she rushed over to Chase, lifting him with all of her strength, dragging him behind her and strapping him in place on the stretcher. She then ran back and grabbed Marshall. "You.. you are crazy" Everest said, kissing him on his forehead. Marshall, barely conscious at this point, kissed back. The two held their kiss as the others fought in the background. "We don't have time for this!" Zuma yelled, pulling Marshall away and putting him on top of Chase. "Sowry guys, but you're both going on it at the same time". Neither of the pups protested. Marshall lifted his head as Everest strapped them down, tightly this time. He watched Rubble charge at the panther with his scoop down, flinging it backwards through the bushes.  
"Let's move whilst it's gone!" Rubble yelled, turning back around. Zuma jumped in and Rubble floored it. Everest climbed back aboard the helicopter. Skye flew upwards, the rope connecting her rig to the stretcher beneath tensing, lifting the two injured leaders from the ground and finally, above the treeline. For the first time in ages, Chase saw the sea, and in the distance, the Sea Patroller. He felt the cool ocean breeze rushing through his fur. It was freezing, but he didn't care. He looked back down, seeing the forest he had been stuck in for days slowly get smaller, eventually turning to sand. He watched as Rubble's rig tore out through the treeline, lights flashing and engine roaring.

* * *

 _10:57pm - 8 Days after Crash_

" _Rocky! Get the ship started. We need to get out of here fast!"_ Rocky sat up from the medical bed, glancing over at Ryder who was still asleep.  
"Have you got them?"  
" _Yeah. But it's not looking good. Get that ship started"_ Rocky could detect the panic in Skye's voice and rushed upstairs. The door to the bridge flew open and the Mixed Breed ran in, jumping straight into the control seat. He instantly slammed his paw onto the starter, causing the whole ship to rumble back to life. He jumped down and looked out of the window. From there, he could easily make out both rigs moving at a high speed towards the ship. He could also see the stretcher, hoisted up above the ground carrying his two friends, and they did not look good. Running back over, Rocky opened the launch bay doors, the tailgate of the ship lowering to the sand. He walked back over to the window and watched as Rubble and Zuma drove towards it. He then noticed the treeline move. At first, he thought nothing of it. The strong ocean wind perhaps? But then it moved again, in multiple places. His eyes widened in shock as multiple creatures jumped from the branches and onto the sand. A pack of black blurs sped towards the ship, and Rocky didn't need to guess what they were running for.  
"Skye! You're being followed!"

Skye looked down, seeing the same thing Rocky saw. "Rubble, get onboard, fast!" Rubble looked down at his paws. He was already maxed out. His rig was racing over the sand, throwing it up behind him at an immense rate. Zuma looked back, seeing the reason for Skye's panic. "Wubble, we gotta go!"  
"I'm trying, but this sand is difficult to drive on", Rubble explained as his rig moved across the uneven surface.  
"They're gaining!"  
"Not helping Zuma!" Rubble replied, panic evident in his voice. Zuma spun back around, looking at the dash in front of him and began to frantically press buttons. "Zuma? What the heck? You're gonna-" Rubble was cut off as his rig's horn sounded.  
" _Guys. Do that again!"_ Rocky's voice came through Rubble's tag. Rubble did as told and pressed the horn button once more.

From Rocky's vantage point, he watched as the panthers slowed, intimidated slightly by the sudden loud sound. "That's it", Rocky said to himself. "Guys! They hate loud noises!" Zuma and Rubble looked at each other, and began howling and barking as loud as they could. Rubble turned on everything he could. His drill revving up and engine revving even more. His paw held down on the horn button. Skye watched from above as the display indeed scared the pack that was slowing down, cautious of the sudden noise.  
 _"Rocky! You're a genius it's working!"_ Skye said,  
" _Geez Skye.. Pick a boy already"_ Everest's said, promptly followed by a slap that the others could hear from the ground.  
"Uhh.. Dudes, it worked, but not on all of them!" Rocky's ears perked up at the sound of a panicked Zuma. He looked back and saw that almost every single panther had indeed retreated back to the treeline, all except one. This one paced forward, albeit slow, but continued to walk towards the rig. This particular panther was followed by a crimson trail; blood dripping from several wounds. Back paw dragging behind with an awkward gait. "Guys, what do we do?" Zuma asked. Rocky blinked, completely out of ideas. Rubble continued to press the horn. Rocky squeezed his eyes shut, trying to focus through the noise, and then it hit him.

"Everyone! Cover your ears!" Rocky yelled, broadcasting to everyone. He dove onto the control seat, sliding his paw up a screen. On it, a bar began to rise, building air pressure. Rocky impatiently muttered to himself, watching the bar slowly get full. "Come on come on come on come on!" The screen turned green. "Go!" He slammed his paw down, almost going through the screen. Deep in the ship, a valve opened; pressurised air flooded through a tube and eventually out of an opening. The Sea Patroller's horn echoed a familiar tune through the air. All of the pups instantly clutched their ears. Marshall and Chase lowered their heads as much as they could, burying their ears into each other's fur, attempting to block out as much noise as possible. The ground shook from the intense noise. Zuma looked back, still holding his ears down. The scarred panther looked back up, terror and pain visible in his eyes. Zuma just grinned. "You want us so bad kitty? Come and get it!" Zuma leaned over and slammed his paw onto the steering wheel. Before Rubble had time to react, both pups flew forwards slightly as the entire rig shifted into reverse, full speed slamming into the predatory cat, sending it flying backwards. The horn continued as Rubble pushed Zuma's paws off the wheel and hit it back into drive, speeding forwards, finally feeling the tracks of his rig contact the metal ramp of the patroller. "Close it!" Rubble yelled.

Rocky closed the back door to the patroller. Rubble and Zuma jumped down, looking out as the door closed, seeing the panthers watch from the treeline. Skye flew overhead, slowly lowering the stretcher in place. Rocky took his paw off of the horn, letting an eerie silence take back over. He watched as Zuma and Rubble ran past him and out onto the deck. He swiftly followed. Skye and Everest jumped down. "Rubble!"  
"Over here!" Rubble ran forwards, grabbing one side of the stretcher with Everest. Rocky grabbed the front with his claw and Zuma grabbed the back. Rocky looked over his shoulder at his teammates. Small pools of blood formed on the base of the metal, mixed from both pups. Marshall looked back at Rocky, smiling weakly along with Chase. "Nice work", Marshall said. Rocky nodded,  
"you too".

The pups rushed Chase and Marshall into the medical room. They did what they could, and Marshall did his best to instruct them, but none of them knew entirely what they were doing. Even Rocky looked lost. Thankfully, Everest knew how to do stitches, as a lot of the time, Marshall was too far away from Jake's Mountain for certain emergencies. She was able to stitch them up to the best of her ability.

In the meantime, Zuma headed upstairs and sat down, looking out over the sea. Without hestitation, he pressed forwards on the accelerator, slowly, remembering the work going on downstairs. Gradually, the Sea Patroller pulled away from the island. " _Zuma.. Is that you doing that?"_ Skye's voice came through his tag.  
"Yeah, I wanna get out of here". _  
"We all need some rest Zuma. Park us up a mile off shore. We'll be safe"._ Zuma didn't like the idea, but he knew she was right. With Ryder sedated and Chase and Marshall back onboard, they could wait a few hours.

* * *

 _5:23am - 9 Days after Crash_

Marshall's eyes fluttered open. He felt something warm around him. Sitting up, he looked down at his body. Pressed up against his back, Chase slept soundly. He sighed, relieved to see his friend. He looked over at Ryder, who was still completely asleep. Marshall carefully stepped down from the bed, knowing the extent of his injuries. Slowly, he limped to Ryder's side. He looked up at the screen. "Huh.. Not a bad job Rocky", Marshall said to himself looking over Ryder's vitals. His heart rate was still high, but not as high as before. His temperature was still a little high, but overall, he was slowly stablizing. But Marshall knew he needed more than sleep. Pulling back the covers slightly, he could still see the deep red rash that had now spread up his neck. The best thing they could do now was get home.

Slowly, Marshall covered Ryder back up again, and then turned away, ready to leave the room. As he began walking, he felt something on his back. Looking over his shoulder, he recognised Ryder's hand, gently stroking along his white fur. "Ryder?" Marshall whispered, still conscious of Chase sleeping not too far away. He turned around, letting Ryder's hand drop down and hang limply off the side of the bed. Slowly, he stood up and placed his paws on the side, making his own eyes level with Ryder's. He smiled weakly.  
"Hey Marshall". Marshall bit his lip, holding back tears. Ryder was a mess, looking weak and pale, but here he was, slowly trying to sit up and talk to him. "How's it going?" Ryder asked, nonchalantly. Marshall silently cried, climbing up onto the bed and wrapping his paws around him.  
"Ryder... I don't want to be leader anymore", Marshall quietly said, earning a gentle pat on the head. Ryder placed his fingers under Marshall's chin and lifted it upwards, looking into his eyes.  
"I'm sorry Marshall. I really am. It was a massive responsibility to put onto someone without experience. Even Chase would have struggled in your position". Marshall glanced over at the sleeping shepherd, all bandaged up and unmoving in the bed. Ryder's voice was faint, but thanks to the deathly silence in the room, aside from the occasional beep from various monitoring equipment around the bed, Marshall could just about hear him.  
"I let you down", Ryder stayed silent. Marshall lifted his head up. "I did what you wouldn't want me to do. We stole the Sea Patroller, we left Jake in charge of the entire town. We sailed across the ocean. It was dangerous and stupid".  
"Yeah it kinda was Marshall", Ryder answered back. Marshall just hung his head. "I would never want you to risk your life or anyone else's lives for the sake of mine". Marshall sniffed and nodded. "But.. For him?" Marshall looked up, seeing Ryder pointing at Chase, "I would risk everything I could to save him or any of you. I'm not surprised you did the same. I'm not disappointed Marshall."  
"You're not?"  
"Of course not. You did what you believed was right. Everyone leads differently. In the end, you saved everyone! You might not think it, but you make a good leader". Ryder slowly brushed his hand over Marshall's head. "To begin with, yeah, I was hoping you guys would get our message and send out the right people... But after a while.. I knew the right people would come and rescue us. You guys would. I wouldn't want my life in anyone else's hands.. Or paws". Marshall smiled softly. Not a big smile of excitement, or joy, just.. contentment. He had been terrified of confronting Ryder all week, thinking that he would be upset at his actions, but.. It turned out to be the total opposite. "And you never stole the Sea Patroller",  
"Well technically, Zuma, Skye and Rubble did but-"  
"No I mean, the Sea Patroller is a Paw Patrol vehicle, you can't really steal what you own" Ryder said with a slight chuckle, followed by a coarse cough. "Do you know what's wrong with me?" Ryder asked Marshall. Marshall looked back up, seeing for the first time, slight fear in the boy's eyes.  
"At first.. I thought I did. When you got in here, I told Rocky what to do, what to give you. If it was just what I thought it was, you'd be.. well not healed, but certainly on your feet a bit more. Ryder.. I'm sorry I don't know what this is". Ryder just nodded.  
"Don't worry about it Marshall. You're the best doctor I know. I trust you".  
"Thanks, Ryder. But... I'm gonna leave it to the human doctors now. I don't want another responsibility like that again. Ever. I'm just not.. just not made for it".  
"Well I think you're wrong Marshall. You're smarter than you give yourself credit for, courageous beyond belief and possibly the most caring pup I know".  
"But I just can't handle that stress. I'm sorry Ryder".  
"You don't have to apologise to me Marshall. Despite everything that happened, you never gave up. To me, that proves you're a good leader, but that decision is up to you in the end. Besides, maybe it's a good thing. I don't know how many more boats I can spare". Marshall's ears perked up at the last part,  
"You know?"  
"I know about you playing chicken with a three hundred and fifty tonne boat? Yeah.. Zuma told me. Once again, a bit stupid, but you used your initiative". Marshall just blushed. "No.. I'm not angry about it. A little frustrated knowing I'm gonna have to make a new one, but it was bound to break at some point. Didn't think it'd be because you drove it into the Sea Patroller", Ryder laughed.  
"Hey! Zuma drove into me!" Ryder continued to laugh, but his laughs soon became coughs, which were becoming more and more intense with each intake of breath. Marshall reached to the side of the bed, grabbing a mask and placing it over Ryder's nose and mouth. Slowly, Ryder's coughs stopped. He knew he wasn't well, but he still smiled back at the pup.  
"You need to go back to sleep", Marshall said, slowly climbing down from the bed and walking to Ryder's drip, turning it up slightly. Ryder simply gave a weak thumbs up before slowly closing his eyes again. Marshall sighed. He was somewhat scared now. He never found an illness he couldn't solve. Carefully, he walked over to Chase, checking his vitals and bandages, then checked his own, before heading towards the door, closing it carefully behind him.

Marshall headed upstairs, stepping into the bridge. The lights came on overhead. Apparently, he was the only one awake. Robodog looked back over his shoulder, his cheerful robotic bark causing Marshall to smile. He slowly climbed up onto the chair, Robodog slowly lifting him up with his head. "Thanks Robodog", Marshall said, patting the robot on the head. Marshall looked out over through the windows. The sky a light blue as the sun slowly began to creep into the horizon. Placing his tag on the unit besides him, the engines started. "Robodog, get us home". The pup didn't bark in response, but instead solemnly nodded, pushing the accelerator upwards. Slowly, the entire boat began to shift back into action, gliding over the surface of the waves. With every second of travelling, Marshall could feel himself become happier. He leaned back in the chair, closing his eyes, recounting the events of the past week and a half. He couldn't believe that something as serious as Ryder and Chase crashing in some dangerous remote island brought all of them this close. He couldn't believe what his friends did for him back in that forest, rushing into action, saving him. He felt a tear roll down his cheek. Now, he didn't bother wiping it away. He was crying out of peace of mind. He remembered how awful he felt the day of that crash. Watching his family disappear from the screen, leaving his mind reeling with possibilities. How conflicted his mind felt after hearing they were alive. He couldn't believe he was just going to leave it to someone else.

Opening his eyes, he stepped down from the chair and headed outside to the front of the desk. Slowly walking, feeling the slight sting of his injuries return as the anaesthetic began to wear off. He rested his front paws on the rail, letting his head fall onto them. Sighing, he watched the bow of the ship slice through the water as they made their way home. Home. Just that thought brought him to grin. He missed everything there. The stupid missions, the people in the town, heck, even Humdinger would be a welcome sight now. He felt something warm brush up against him. "You okay?"  
"Chase.. you should be resting".  
"I've been alone long enough, I just wanna be with someone right now 'kay? Besides, looks like you could do with someone to stand with, y'know, unless you're planning to jump from this too?" Chase said, smirking. Marshall smiled back. "I can't believe you did that, for me?"  
"Of course I did Chase. Your my brother. I know we look nothing alike, but.. you've always been there for me. I wouldn't just leave you behind knowing I could have done something",  
"Even when that something is diving from a helicopter and facing your fear of flying?"  
"Oh yeah, that.. Let's say I'm not looking forward to flying again".  
"Yeah I hear ya buddy. Last time I went flying, I crashed into the ocean, then a jungle... I think I prefer driving". Both of them chuckled at this. They stood in silence for a few minutes, watching the sun crest on the horizon in the distance, slowly staining the sky in a golden glow.  
"When I fell.. I didn't think I'd see another one of these". Chase said firmly. Marshall just looked up at Chase, watching a tear drop onto the deck. It was a rare sight to see Chase cry. Marshall reached up and pulled him into a hug.  
"We're going home Chase. You're gonna see lots more of these. I promise".

"Hey guys.. We interrupting something?" Marshall and Chase broke away from each other, looking back, seeing Everest, Skye, Rubble, Rocky and Zuma stood smiling. Skye ran forward, wrapping her paws around Chase, Chase hugged back. Everest walked up to Marshall. "I was going to slap you.. y'know.. for jumping from a helicopter.. but... I think-" Marshall grabbed Everest and pressed his muzzle against hers. Everest, shocked, let her eyes close and kissed back. Rocky and Zuma leaned onto each other, whilst Rubble looked around and just shrugged, walking over and hugging Marshall's side. Marshall looked down, and hugged him back. He pulled Chase and Skye over and then Rocky and Zuma. The seven of them held each other, for the first time in over a week. Marshall opened his eyes, looking over his friends.. no.. over his family. The Paw Patrol was on their way home, a little broken and bruised, but.. they were going home.

* * *

* _Episode - Pups Save a Good Mayor - Whilst Mayor Goodway is absent on a camping trip, Mayor Humdinger steps in and enforces new and ridiculous laws. (That frankly Ryder and Chase should have ignored outright, since they both likely know the laws more than Humdinger would, and that you can't just create them like that)._

 ** _I HAVE UPLOADED AN EPILOGUE AFTER THIS CHAPTER. PLEASE READ IT AS IT IS THE CANONICAL ENDING TO THE STORY. IT WILL NOT SHOW UP ON THE UPDATES PAGE AS I RELEASED THEM BOTH ON THE SAME DAY._**


	18. Epilogue

_**EPILOGUE**_

 _13:31 - 14 Days after Crash_

Due to knowing where to go this time, the Sea Patroller made it home in less than two days. A crowd had gathered on the beach, awaiting their return. Stood at the front was Jake, Mayor Goodway, Katie and to everyone's surprise, Mayor Humdinger with his Kitty Katastrophe Crew. Upon hearing the news, Humdinger rushed to Adventure Bay. He may have his differences with the Paw Patrol, but after hearing about their ordeal, he did all he could to help. Behind them, an ambulance waited to take Ryder away.

Rocky blasted the horn again. Everyone on the beach cheered seeing the Sea Patroller come around the turn under the bridge. Slowly, it reversed back into dock, guided by Cap'n Turbot in the flounder. Within seconds, paramedics wheeled Ryder away into an ambulance, followed by Marshall and Chase. Some people saw Ryder and looked worried. He looked worse than everyone had expected, but they had always had faith in the young child before, and this was no exception.

Everest hurried out, tackling Jake to the ground, soaking his face with an assault of kisses. "Alright! Alright! Down girl! I missed you too!" She looked back over at the rest of the pups. They waved to her, she waved back before turning to Jake to explain the story.

The rest of the pups, Zuma, Rocky, Skye and Rubble headed back up to the lookout. It was indeed a sight for sore eyes, seeing their home stand proudly above the small ocean town.

* * *

 _18:13 - 28 Days after Crash_

The pups stood proudly on the stage, each wearing their uniforms. Marshall stood in the centre besides Chase, who stood proudly, with his paw in a cast. Mayor Goodway stood at a podium, addressing a huge crowd that had attended the ceremony. Word had gotten out of the pup's heroic actions, worldwide. Countless news teams had gathered with cameras and microphones from various countries. In the centre, the Pricess of Barkingburg and the Earl were stood. In the front row, Katie, Jake, Mayor Humdinger, Cap'n Turbot, Tracker, Carlos and the Porters stood applauding.

"Ladies and Gentlemen from around the world! 28 days ago today, our town was struck with tragedy. The Paw Patrol, Adventure Bay's own rescue team, lost two of their own in a horrific plane crash". Marshall looked up at Chase, seeing another tear fall down onto the stage. He maintained his poise and proudly stood facing out to the crowd. "Through all the odds, this team of pups used their incredible skills to sail halfway around the ocean to rescue both Ryder and Chase of the Paw Patrol, successfully bringing them back to us alive". The crowd cheered once more. Mayor Goodway held her hand up, silencing the crowd. "However.. Whilst all seemed well, Ryder.. Ryder was struck with an unfamiliar disease". All of the pups looked down. Ever since returning, Ryder had been held in Foggy Bottom's hospital. They were all unable to see him due to the possible contagiousness of the disease, which was unknown to Marshall and even the best doctors. "But.." Chase lifted his head, "thanks to the tireless work of Foggy Bottom's own hospital", Mayor Goodway gestured to Humdinger, who for once, just gave a smile of gratitude instead of gloating, "and the incredible skills of the Paw Patrol's very own Marshall", the pups looked over at Marshall, who just grinned, "the disease was contained and swiftly treated". All of the pups looked up at Goodway. So, for their bravery, tact and quick thinking in great times of need, I hearby award Rubble, Zuma, Rocky, Skye and Everest of the Paw Patrol the Gold Cross of Seacliffe Isles". Marshall watched as Goodway stepped away from the podium, clipping medals to each of the mentioned pup's collars. Marshall held his chest out, ready for his medal, but the Mayor walked past. "To Chase, the Adventure Bay medal of Care, Bravery and Gratitude for caring for Ryder despite your own conditions". Once more the crowd cheered. Marshall stood, smiling for his friends, but feeling left out as the others admired their own medals.

"And Marshall", Marshall looked up, as did the rest of the pups, hearing a different voice. From behind a curtain at the side of the stage, Ryder walked out. "Marshall. For incredible leading, staying resilient in the face of danger, and showing great skill at the worst of times, on behalf of the Paw Patrol, Adventure Bay and the United Rescue Forces, I hearby bestow to you the Platinum Paw. The highest honour". Marshall said nothing, just watched as Ryder walked onto stage and clipped his badge to his collar. His friends cheered the loudest. Marshall sat, his entire body and emotions unchanging. Once more, the group pulled him into a hug. Ryder sat behind them all, causing all of the pups, besides Marshall, jump back and onto Ryder, covering him in kisses. None of the pups, aside Marshall of course, knew about Ryder's health. Some cried happily, (Chase included), whilst others howled in joy. Marshall watched his team sit back up, all laughing and grinning.  
"Marshall?" Ryder said, "you okay?" Marshall just nodded. "Come on. Get in here". Marshall felt a big grin spread across his face.  
"Uh, guys.." Chase said, seeing Marshall begin to run towards him. "Guys we should-"  
"Woahoah"  
"Too late", Chase said blankly, watching as the dalmatian fell down on top of him and the others. The photographer shot the photo. Looking at it, he asked if they wanted to redo it. Ryder looked at it, and shook his head. On it, Marshall laid on top of Chase's back, both grinning. Skye held on around Chase's neck, stood on Rubble who was just laughing. Rocky and Zuma kissed each other, despite being flattened by the husky sat on top of both of them who was reaching out to grab Marshall. Ryder wouldn't want any other kind of photo. This is what his family was. All of the pups laughed, looking at the photo. Marshall looked at it, smiling. All of his friends, all of this family, looked to him, and he simply grinned. "I'm good".

 _the end_

* * *

 **LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THAT'S IT. Expect no more chapters! This story took way longer than I was expecting, and changed so much from my original plan.**

 **The original story plot was going to be various anecdotes showing Marshall evolve as a leader, and instead, it became a full blown rescue suspense story instead with blood and all sorts. But I'm happy with how it turned out.**

 **When I started writing this, I had just reached the final few weeks of College, (in England, that's the step before University). I have now just reached the end of my first week of university. (Which I am enjoying very much). It has taken over 2 months to write this. At certain points, I had decided to give up on it, thinking I would not have the time to complete it. But I hate it when I get into a good story and then it never gets updated again. (There are many many in the Paw Patrol category that do this). So I know how people who were invested in this story might feel should I stop it.**

 **Speaking of which, what the heck guys?! At no point did I expect to have so many people read, favourite and follow this story. It has reached almost 8000 views, which to some might seem small, but to me, it means 8000 people have read my story. Whether or not all of them liked it or not is a different question, but that's fine.**

 **I'd like to give a list of authors, reviewers and followers that I would like to thank.**

 _Chase the New Pup  
Hauchen  
Spiteful Entity  
Rescue Wolf  
Amilia13  
Marie-Anne14  
Chase  
TFStarfire  
Hannagrxe  
Wlrdqueek  
SharpDragonKlaw  
SwarmX  
mandy  
Macapedia  
Zuma Lover_

 **ALL of you guys above left me reviews, alongside multiple guests (who I appreciate just as much!) Knowing that I had this many people to please, it kept me writing and writing.**

 **The following people were following this story!**

 _Aliff Hakimi  
Caty Oliver  
Gargantua Dragon  
Haunchen  
Macapedia  
Max waspace  
PawPatrollFan  
SharpDragonKlaw  
Sneakykitty432  
Snow4k  
Speedy1989  
Spiteful Entity  
SwamX  
TFSTARFIRE  
Whitefox9000  
linuxgeek1304  
pedrogaluppoinacio  
wrldqueek_

 **Honestly, knowing that so many people (22 in total), were that invested in this story gave me the push I often needed to reach this point. At some point, all of you contributed to helping me finish this, and some of you even gave me ideas to use in the story, and for that, I thank you greatly!**

 **You've all stuck with me through a pretty stressful 2 months, and have been unbelievably patient. Sometimes, the idea of not finishing this story often kept me up at night. At least I'll be able to sleep better now. XD**

 **Honestly though, I cannot stress enough how much you guys have helped. Even the ones who left troll reviews, thanks for the views and reviews guys, it actually boosts my story soooo :P 👍**

 **I won't be writing a story again I'm afraid. And if I do, it will not be uploaded until it is 100% complete, that way I have less pressure.**

 **Hauchen! I look forward to seeing those ideas you talked to me about come out into view! Chase the new pup! You wanna do a spinoff? By all means go ahead. (If it takes place during my story, I won't class it as canon as all of the details in my story link together), but you're free to use whatever you like from it!**

 **I will still be active! If you ever want to message me, please feel free to!**

 **For the last time in a while!  
See you guys later.  
~PupPupGo xxx**

 **(And yes.. for those of you who asked.. the original plot for this story had Ryder dead :|)**


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